Debates
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The everyday architecture of violence: When drug policies generate more insecurity
In Latin America, most drug-related insecurity is caused not by drug use itself, but by policies that persist in combating it through prohibition and punishment.
The Fujimorist restoration
Keiko Fujimori’s return to power heralds a revival of Fujimorism, which promises order but revives the tensions and risks of the past.
Perestroika without glasnost in Venezuela and Cuba
Venezuela and Cuba are experimenting with a limited economic opening to preserve political control, following the model of China and Vietnam without opening the door to democratic freedoms.
The American Friend
The figure of the "American friend" continues to symbolize an unequal power relationship, from the Cold War to contemporary transatlantic and Latin American politics.
Shared values, democracy and politics in a fragmenting world
Democratic values continue to enjoy broad support, but institutional distrust and political polarization threaten their resilience in Latin America and Europe.
Brazil: Lusophony as a transregional bridge
Brazil’s foreign policy is often analyzed through the lens of its regional leadership or its participation in the BRICS and the G20. Yet one of its most strategic dimensions has been its relationship with the Portuguese-speaking African Countries (PALOP), a sphere that illustrates how a middle power can expand its autonomy in a multipolar international system by relying on resources that extend beyond economic and military power. During the governments of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (2003–2010), Brazil significantly reshaped its foreign policy. Rather than concentrating its international engagement on its traditional ties with the United States and Europe, it adopted a strategy that international relations scholars Vigevani and Cepaluni described as "autonomy through diversification": expanding its room for maneuver by building alliances with the Global South in order to reduce its dependence on the Global North. This approach was not unique to Brazil. Argentina under the Kirchners and Venezuela under Hugo Chávez also promoted South-South cooperation initiatives. However, Brazil possessed advantages that no other Latin American country could match: the Portuguese language, a strong Afro-descendant heritage, decades of technical cooperation, and a diplomatic corps with extensive multilateral experience. These soft power resources enabled Brazil to establish a distinctive presence in...