Brookings: Topics - South America

Foreign Policy

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:23:32 GMT

The U.S. and the international community face great challenges in the 21st century—globalization offers more freedom and prosperity, but also new threats to our security. The Foreign Policy Studies scholars and research help policymakers and the public address these crucial issues.

Latin America Initiative

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:49:21 GMT

The Latin America Initiative provides high-quality, in-depth, and independent research across a range of economic and political issues, and offers policy recommendations aimed at U.S. and Latin American policymakers. Read More

Between Hypocrisy and Narcoterrorism in Latin America

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A new agreement between the United States and Colombia will give the U.S. military access to seven existing facilities in order to carry out counternarcotics and counterinsurgency operations. Mauricio Cardenas and Kevin Casas-Zamora examine concerns among countries in Latin America regarding this move and argue that it is time to have meaningful conversation on a problem that affects the whole hemisphere.

Protecting the Displaced in Colombia: The Role of Municipal Authorities

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

In most societies, citizens have more interaction with municipal authorities than with national government officials. The same is true in Colombia. However, policies that address displacement are often developed by the national government and left to the municipal authorities to implement. In this report, the Brookings-Bern Project presents the issues discussed at a workshop for municipal authorities in how to better respond to the needs of Colombia's IDPs.

Latin America's Infrastructure: Roads to the Future

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 09:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

July 21, 2009, 9:00 AM to 12:20 PM

On July 21, the Latin America Initiative at Brookings and the Andean Development Corporation (CAF) hosted a discussion of CAF’s recent report titled “Roads to the Future: Management of Infrastructure in Latin America.”

A Comparative Study of FARC and Paramilitary Groups in Colombia

Fri, 22 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Bilal Saab and Alexandra Taylor analyze how terrorist groups and armed insurgents in Colombia regularly exploit illicit markets to launder money, traffic illegal goods, and purchase arms. The authors find that group goals, the political environment, and membership strongly influence the types of criminal activities a given armed group undertakes. They conclude that membership and political agenda of sub-state armed groups not only distinguishes them from criminal groups, but also shapes their criminal behavior.

The IMF’s Outlook for Latin America and the Caribbean

Thu, 21 May 2009 14:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

May 21, 2009, 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM

Spillovers from a global crisis that began in advanced economies pose a severe test to Latin America and the Caribbean region. On May 21, the Latin America Initiative at Brookings hosted Nicolás Eyzaguirre, director of the IMF’s Western Hemisphere Department, and Steve Phillips, also of the IMF, as they presented this year’s Regional Economic Outlook: Western Hemisphere report.

Obama off to Good Start in Latin America

Mon, 04 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Abe Lowenthal writes that among the important accomplishments by President Obama in his first 100 days has been a major step forward in U.S. relations with our neighbors in Latin America and the Caribbean. Lowenthal outlines policies the United States should pursue in the Americas and reminds the administration to keep it simple in the region.

The Summit of the Americas and Regional Development Banks

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 09:51:07 GMT

Mauricio Cárdenas, director of the Latin America Initiative, says the focus of the fifth Summit of the Americas will be the global economic crisis. He also explains that the nations need to agree on strengthening regional development banks and that certain countries need open trade.

President Obama and the Summit of the Americas

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Key differences persist among the many countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. In the leadup to the fifth Summit of the Americas, Abraham Lowenthal says Obama would do well to remember Ronald Reagan's comment on returning from his first trip to South America as president: "These Latin American countries are all very different from each other."

Will Obama Retreat on Democracy in Latin America?

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

As the Summit of the Americas draws near, Ted Piccone analyzes Obama's debut before the hemisphere’s main gathering of democratically elected leaders and discusses what should come from the meeting. Piccone believes Obama should lead by example by implementing human rights reforms at home and by reminding colleagues they share a responsibility to follow universal democratic standards.

Previewing the Summit of the Americas

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 10:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

April 14, 2009, 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM

The Obama administration faces a number of challenges in Latin America. The fifth Summit of the Americas offers leaders of the Western Hemisphere an opportunity to partner on a new and robust agenda that spans global economic, social, energy and climate change issues. On April 14, Brookings experts discussed the critical issues facing the leaders attending the summit and proposed recommendations for action.

The Fifth Summit of the Americas: Recommendations for Action

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Leaders of the Western Hemisphere gathered in Trinidad and Tobago on April 17-19, 2009 for the fifth Summit of the Americas. In a series of commentary articles focused on the summit's agenda and key challenges, Brookings experts discuss critical economic, social, energy and climate change issues facing the leaders attending the summit and propose recommendations for policy action.

The Scouting Report: Previewing the Summit of the Americas

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 12:30:00 GMT

Event Information:

April 08, 2009, 12:30 PM to 01:30 PM

The Obama administration faces any number of challenges in Latin America, from Cuba to Colombia, from Bolivia to Venezuela. Mauricio Cárdenas previewed the upcoming Summit of the Americas and took your questions on U.S. policy in the region during a live web chat with Politico's Fred Barbash.

Weak States and the Summit of the Americas

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 17:09:56 GMT

Vanda Felbab-Brown previews the Summit of the Americas talks opening this week in Trinidad and Tobago and outlines some of the key political, economic and social issues up for discussion, including the role of the United States.

Internal Displacement and Peacebuilding in Colombia

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The advances in laws related to IDPs have not addressed the relationship between internal displacement and peacebuilding in Colombia. Elizabeth Ferris explores the issue.

The Obama Administration and the Americas : Agenda for Change

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The Obama administration inherits a daunting set of domestic and international policy challenges. The Obama Administration and the Americas, however, argues that the new administration should focus early and strategically on Latin America.

Internal Displacement and the Construction of Peace

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Colombia has one of the world’s largest populations of internally displaced persons (IDPs), estimated between 2.6 and 4.3 million people. Although Colombia’s government has implemented political reconciliation and socioeconomic stabilization measures in recent years, long-term solutions for millions of displaced Colombians continue to be elusive.

Hugo Chavez: A Lame Duck no More

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Having just celebrated his first decade in power to the tune of a national holiday, Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez is here to stay, writes Kevin Casas-Zamora. Though Chavez remains a formidable tactician and a better-than-average strategist, Casas-Zamora notes there are obstacles ahead like oil prices that have plummeted, crime, and an anti-Chavez opposition that is less marginalized than in the past.

A Decade of Hugo Chávez

Sat, 14 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Kevin Casas-Zamora examines Venezuela after 10 years of Hugo Chávez. Casas-Zamora argues that Venezuela remains under-developed even by Latin America standards and that recent history can show how perils may beset unjust democracies.

Latin America, the Global Financial Crisis and the Velocity of Business

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

As the effects of the financial crisis continue to be felt across the globe, much of Latin America should be well prepared to weather the global financial storms with more opportunity for growth. In a speech at the Economist's 11th Annual Conference on Latin America Private Equity, held in Miami Florida, Mauricio Cárdenas discusses how the United States and Latin American countries can work together, not only on financing and aid, but also on issues like trade, migration, energy, and climate change.

Latin America's Economic Outlook for 2009: No Time for Optimism

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

What is the forecast for Latin American economies in 2009? Brookings Fellow Mauricio Cardenas and Arturo Galindo of the Inter-American Development Bank explain why the Latin America economic outlook for 2009 does not appear particularly grim—and even offers the prospect of limited but continued growth—despite the sharp recession in the U.S., a key influencer on the region's economic growth patterns.

Public Policies to Assist Internally Displaced Persons: The Role of Municipal Authorities

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The intensification of the armed conflict in Colombia during the 1990s provoked the forced displacement of more than 2.4 million people, with the vast majority of municipalities either losing or receiving persons displaced by the conflict. Though Colombia has several national laws and decrees on internal displacement, implementation has been slow and uneven throughout the different state and municipal institutions. In this new report commissioned by the Brookings-Bern Project, Ana María Ibañez and Andrea Valásquez, examine the obstacles to greater involvement by municipal authorities with IDPs, focusing on four cases: Bogotá, Medellín, Antioquia, and Santa Marta.

Es Hora de Reevaluar las Relaciones con América Latina

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

En una reciente transmisión de Radio Netherland, la emisora mundial de Holanda, se entrevistó a Leonardo Martínez-Díaz, subdirector de la “Comisión Alianza de las Américas” de la Institución Brookings, en relación al informe “Replanteando las Relaciones entre EE.UU. y América Latina: Una Alianza Hemisférica para un Mundo Turbulento”. Martínez-Díaz habla sobre el objetivo del informe de contribuir al debate en áreas de interés mutuo para EE.UU. y los países de América Latina y el Caribe, en medio de la oportunidad política que representa la toma de poder de la administración del presidente electo Barack Obama.

Re-Thinking U.S.-Latin American Relations

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

With the opportunity of a new U.S. administration and Congress, Brookings’s Partnership for the Americas Commission released its final report noting the need for a new hemispheric partnership to address key transnational challenges and providing specific policy recommendations on five key areas: energy and climate change, migration, trade, organized crime and drug trafficking and U.S.-Cuban relations.

Re-Thinking U.S.-Latin American Relations: A Hemispheric Partnership for a Turbulent World

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 10:30:00 GMT

Event Information:

November 24, 2008, 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM

On November 24, the Brookings Institution hosted the Partnership for the Americas Commission for the release of their report, “Re-thinking U.S.-Latin American Relations: A Hemispheric Partnership for a Turbulent World," which offers a set of policy recommendations to the next U.S. administration to meet the challenges facing the U.S. and Latin America, from economic and poverty policies to security, foreign policy and energy.

Pay Attention to Latin America

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

In a new op-ed outlining the recommendations by Brookings’s Partnership for the Americas Commission, co-chairs Ernesto Zedillo and Thomas Pickering detail the need for stronger hemispheric relations and outline five areas for potential policy partnerships for the next administration.

Internal Displacement, Transitional Justice, and Peacebuilding: Lessons Learned

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

There is a close relationship between finding solutions for displaced persons and peacebuilding as peacebuilding involves: re-establishing security and law and order, reconstruction and economic rehabilitation, reconciliation and social rehabilitation, and political transition to creating more accountable governance structures and institutions. If IDP concerns in these areas are not taken seriously, it may jeopardize the sustainability of peace in the country.

Global Financial Crisis: Is Brazil a Bystander?

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

In the wake of the global financial crisis, President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has expressed confidence in the Brazilian economy to withstand a slowdown. Mauricio Cardenas discusses the fundamentals of the Brazilian economy and analyzes whether Brazil is likely to maintain its economic strength.

Top 10 Global Economic Challenges Facing America's 44th President

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

As President-Elect Obama prepares to lead the United States, what are the top global economic challenges facing the new president and his advisors and how should the new administration address them? A new report by Brookings global economic and development experts ranks the top 10 issues and details specific ideas for how to tackle the toughest challenges.

Listening to the Voices of the Displaced: Lessons Learned

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

When those working with IDPs develop programs and policies without taking the time to listen to those most affected — the IDPs themselves — plans often go wrong. In order to ensure their needs not only are met but also that lasting solutions are found for their displacement, Roberta Cohen explains that it is critical to listen to the voices of IDPs.

Addressing Internal Displacement: Specific Needs and Vulnerabilities

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 09:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

March 10, 2008, 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM

In many countries, internally displaced persons (IDPs) do not live in camps established by humanitarian organizations, but rather in cities where they are dispersed among the urban population. On March 10, the Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement hosted a round-table seminar on urban displacment and the issues facing urban IDPs.

South America Set to Launch 'Banco del Sur'

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Many hope that a new South American development bank, Banco del Sur, will stimulate growth in poorer countries in that region. Brookings Journalist-in-Residence Paul Blustein comments on this new development.

A Dialogue: Engaging the Latin American World

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

In October and November of 2007, Brookings Scholars Michael O'Hanlon, Diana Negroponte and Leonardo Martinez-Diaz had an e-mail exchange with prominent Latin American scholars with a variety of perspectives to discuss the issues facing Latin America.

From Lima to Doha: Assessing the U.S. Trade Agenda

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The House approved a free-trade agreement with Peru last week, and Senate approval appears likely. Brookings Journalist-in-Residence Paul Blustein contends that the bipartisan vote was a breakthrough, but what’s needed is a meaningful Doha Round deal.

Improving Government Expenditure Performance in Latin America and the Caribbean: World Bank Experiences

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 12:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

October 30, 2007, 12:00 PM to

When Displacement Ends: A Framework for Durable Solutions

Sat, 01 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

There are at least 24 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the world today. They do not have a special legal status that ends at a particular time and, as citizens of the countries where they are displaced, they have every right not to go home even once it is safe to do so. A Framework for Durable Solutions helps to define the situations when it can be said that displacement has ended and those formerly displaced no longer require the specific attention given to them as IDPs.

French Unrest and Venezuela Threats

Mon, 10 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

O'REILLY: "Impact" segment tonight, no surprise, French President Jacques Chirac has surrendered to the howling mob. For weeks, thousands of young French citizens, as you may know, have been demonstrating against a proposed new law that would allow French companies to fire them within the first two years on the job.

Current South Asia Policy Initiatives in the Bush Administration

Tue, 14 Jun 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Testimony by Stephen P. Cohen, House International Relations Committee, Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific (6/14/05)

The Human Rights Situation in Colombia: Afro-Colombians and Indigenous People

Wed, 08 Jun 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Of the between 2 and 3 million IDPs in Colombia, the Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities have been disproportionately affected. Both groups are vulnerable to displacement because the land they collectively hold is coveted by armed groups. Once displaced, these already marginalized groups face further discrimination, including gaining access to protection and assistance. The absence of effective responses has led the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to warn that several indigenous groups in Colombia are at risk of being altogether "wiped out."

Reflecting the Reality on the Ground: Ensuring an Effective Protection and Assistance Response to IDPs through Improved Data Collection.

Tue, 21 Sep 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Statement given at a Consultancy for Human Rights and Displacement (CODHES) seminar.

Internally Displaced Persons in the Truth Commission Report and the Guiding Principles

Fri, 06 Aug 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Speech by Gimena Sanchez at the Launch of the Handbook on Guiding Principles in Peru

Secretary-General's Representative Congratulates Peru on New IDP Law

Thu, 03 Jun 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Secretary-General's Represenative Congratulates Peru on New IDP Law

Internal Displacement in the Americas

Wed, 18 Feb 2004 09:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

February 18, 2004, 9:00 AM to 05:00 PM
February 20, 2004, 9:00 AM to 05:00 PM

There are an estimated 3.3 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the Americas, the majority in Colombia. Most IDPs in the Americas are in need of humanitarian aid, protection and support for reintegration. The first regional seminar on internal displacement in the Americas was held in Mexico City on 18-20 February 2004, hosted by the Government of Mexico and co-sponsored by the Brookings-SAIS Project and the Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General on Internally Displaced Persons.

The Pinochet Case : Origins, Progress, and Implications

Wed, 01 Oct 2003 00:00:00 GMT

This book brings together political scientists and lawyers from Latin America, the United States, Spain, and the UK to analyze the political and historical context of the Pinochet case, its progress through the courts in the UK and Chile, its handlin

Proposal for a Law on Internal Displacement in Peru

Fri, 04 Jul 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Statement by Francis Deng (7/04/03)

Varieties of Nationalism: A Half Century of Brazilian-American Relations

Tue, 01 Jul 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Book Chapter by Lincoln Gordon (July 2003)

The Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement: Their Use and Application in the Americas

Wed, 26 Mar 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Statement by Gimena Sanchez-Grazoli on Peru and the Americas (3/26/03)

Bailout for Buenos Aires?

Sun, 17 Nov 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by William Prillaman, Federal Executive Fellow, the Brookings Institution, in The Washington Times, November 17, 2002

The IMF's Dilemma in Argentina: Time for a New Approach to Lending?

Fri, 01 Nov 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Policy Brief #111, by Carol Graham and Paul Masson (November 2002)

Desplazamiento: Implicaciones y Retos para la Gobernabilidad, la Democracia y la Paz

Wed, 04 Sep 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Mensaje de Francis Deng sobre el desplazamiento interno en Colombia

International Seminar on Displacement: Implications and Challenges for Governance, Democracy and Peace

Wed, 04 Sep 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Statement by Francis Deng, Representative of the Secretary-General on Internally Displaced Persons

Exclusion and Engagement : Social Policy in Latin America

Thu, 01 Aug 2002 00:00:00 GMT

This collection offers a reappraisal of social policy in response to the scale of the challenges confronting Latin America. Divided into four sectionsConcepts, Models and Practice; Health and Social Security; Education; and Household and Communityt

Argentineans Should Look to Asia for Crisis Solutions

Mon, 15 Jul 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Catharin Dalpino, Fellow, the Brookings Institution, in the Orlando Sentinel, July 15, 2002

Crafting Sustainable Social Contracts in Latin America: Political Economy, Public Attitudes, and Social Policy

Mon, 01 Jul 2002 00:00:00 GMT

CSED Working Paper No. 29: Crafting Sustainable Social Contracts in Latin America: Political Economy, Public Attitudes, and Social Policy

Studies in the Formation of the Nation-State in Latin America

Fri, 01 Feb 2002 00:00:00 GMT

This book adopts a variety of disciplinary, thematic, and country-based approaches to the complex and contested issues around the character of the nation-state in Latin America.

Regional Integration in Latin America and the Caribbean : The Political Economy of Open Regionalism

Mon, 01 Oct 2001 00:00:00 GMT

This collection is a sober assessment of the state of regional integration in Latin America and the Caribbean. It studies the question from four perspectives: economic, institutional, political, and in relation to the rest of the world.

Internal Displacement in the Americas: Some Distinctive Features

Tue, 01 May 2001 00:00:00 GMT

The Americas today account for only some ten percent of the world's internally displaced persons —two to two and one half million of a total of twenty to twenty-five million— yet the continent has experienced some of the worst cases of displacement as well as some of the most successful remedial efforts. Whether in Central America or Peru in the 1980s and early 1990s, or today in Colombia, internal displacement in the Americas has pronounced features that distinguish it from other parts of the world.

Brazil's Second Chance : En Route toward the First World

Sun, 08 Apr 2001 00:00:00 GMT

In this major new work, a former American ambassador to Brazil examines the social, political, and economic history of the country since the 1930s and discusses whether Brazil is now ready to assume a place as an important participant among First Wor

Brazil-U.S. Relations: A New Chapter?

Mon, 02 Apr 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Brazil-U.S. Relations? A New Chapter?, Opinion, The InfoBrazil.com, April 2, 2001, by Lincoln Gordon, foreign-policy, The Brookings Institution

Letter to the Editor: Displaced in Colombia

Tue, 01 Aug 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Displaced in Colombia, The New York Times, August 1, 2000, letter to the editor by Gimena Sanchez, foreign-policy, The Brookings Institution

To Make the Earth Bear Fruit : Ethnographic Essays on Fertility, Work, and Gender in Highland Bolivia

Mon, 01 May 2000 00:00:00 GMT

The book brings together previously published ethnographic essays based on anthropological fieldwork in Northern Potosí, Bolivia, spanning the last 25 years.

Internal Displacement in Colombia: Implementing the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement

Thu, 27 May 1999 09:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

May 27, 1999, 9:00 AM to 05:00 PM

The Guiding Principles constitute the first international standards specifically tailored to the needs of internally displaced persons (IDPs), encomapssing prevention, protection and assistance, return, reintegration and development.

Fujimori's Peru : The Political Economy

Thu, 01 Oct 1998 00:00:00 GMT

This book provides an evaluation of Peruvian politics and economics in the 1990s, on the evidence available up until the end of 1997, to offer an answer to the question of whether the Fujimori government has laid the basis for greater future stabilit

Democracy, Decentralisation and Deficits in Latin America

Sat, 01 Aug 1998 00:00:00 GMT

This book considers the problems faced by Chile, Peru, Bolivia, and other Latin American countries in their various experiments with political decentralization, identifies the challenges yet to be encountered, and attempts to find a way to reconcile

Labor Markets in Latin America : Combining Social Protection with Market Flexibility

Tue, 16 Sep 1997 00:00:00 GMT

The book provides a comprehensive description of the existing labor institutions in Latin America, the problems they pose, and the trends in labor market reforms as well as the difficulties encountered by the reform process in specific cases.

Peru: The Prison of Poverty Is the Problem

Sat, 11 Jan 1997 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Carol Graham, Los Angeles Times (1/12/97)

People's Capitalism Makes Headway in Peru

Fri, 19 Apr 1996 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Carol Graham, The Wall Street Journal (4/19/96)

The Chilean Economy : Policy Lessons and Challenges

Tue, 15 Mar 1994 00:00:00 GMT

The advent in the 1990s of Chile as a model for economic reform is something of a surprise. Though many of the reforms were actually introduced in the 1970s, many seemed to have failed until recently. In this book, international scholars review the r