Research Library

The elections that will be held in Cuba on April 19 undoubtedly represents the most important election since 1979 — for the first time in nearly 60 years, someone from outside the Castro family will lead the country. Although the change at the top of the Cuban regime may not constitute a radical change in the political system, the symbolic significance of a post-Castro era cannot be overstated, write the authors in a new post for the Baker Institute Blog.

The people of Costa Rica will face a dilemma when they vote for a new president on April 1, writes Erika de la Garza: In Carlos Alvarado they have a candidate whose party has failed to deliver the change it promised in the last election. His opponent, Fabricio Alvarado appeals to their conservative instincts but seems unconcerned about Costa Rica’s reputation for tolerance, respect for all human rights, and regard for international institutions.

Days after Peru's Congress nearly impeached the country's president, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, he pardoned his authoritarian predecessor, Alberto Fujimoro.

Mexico Center director Tony Payan weighs in on President Trump's decision to end DACA: http://bit.ly/2wDU1Zm

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro appears to be a month away from destroying all remnants of what was once one of Latin America's most stable democracies.

Mexico is gradually laying the foundation for an oil and gas sector where private—along with some state-owned—international companies are taking central stage. However, authorities should not ignore the necessity of developing a domestic oil and gas sector, writes Adrian Duhalt in a post for the Baker Institute blog.

Bonner Means Baker Fellow Joe Barnes analyzes how President Trump’s criticism of NATO members and the Paris accord on climate change during summits in Brussels and Taormina might affect U.S.-European relations. Baker Institute Blog: http://bit.ly/2qxrxyU.

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega was elected to a third consecutive and fourth overall term as president Sunday. While Ortega has successfully revitalized Nicaragua’s economy, his reelection signals a return toward an authoritarian power structure that dismantles the country’s democratic progress.

Colombians on Sunday (10/2) voted against a peace deal with FARC negotiated by President Juan Manuel Santos. What are the potential ramifications of the vote, and the prospects for resolving the country's decades-long confict with the rebel group?

As the UK digests the domestic implications of the Leave vote, middle class voters across the world's most advanced economies have awoken to three flaws in the standard case for further global integration.