Stein Tapped to Lead Truth Commission Former Guatemalan vice-president and Dialogue Board member, Eduardo Stein, has been invited by President Porfírio Lobo of Honduras to lead a national truth commission to examine events surrounding the June 2009 ouster of Manuel Zelaya. More information.
Featured Q&A Dilma Rousseff, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's handpicked successor, has been gaining ground on São Paulo Gov. José Serra in polls ahead of Brazil's October presidential election. Is Lula's high popularity finally rubbing off on Rousseff? Dialogue member Roberto Teixeira da Costa and others commented in the Latin America Advisor.
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cHinchilla Clinches First-Round victory in Costa Rica
Fending off a late surge by her closest opponents, Laura Chinchilla of the National Liberation Party was elected Costa Rica's first female president on February 7, becoming Latin America's sixth woman to be elected president of her country. She captured 47% of the vote, defeating Ottón Solís of the Citizen Action Party who received 25% of the vote and Otto Guevarra of the Libertarian Movement who came in third with 21%.
Chinchilla's victory affirms the popular presidency of Oscar Arias, for whom Chinchilla served as minister of public security and later vice-president before resigning to devote herself to her presidential campaign. The Latin America Advisorpublished a Q&A on Chinchilla's presidential prospects, and the Dialogue's Michael Lisman was interviewed in El Proceso and El Informador.
"The Crisis in Honduras," Michael Shifter. Testimony before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere. July 10, 2009. (Video)
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez faces a number of challenges to his popularity as his government prepares for legislative elections in September, including a countrywide electricity shortage, high inflation and recent protests over the closure of opposition television station RCTV. Michael Shifter commented for media outlets including the Associated Press, Reuters, Fox News, and PBS' Newshour. Dialogue senior fellow Genaro Arriagada contributed an analysis to Chile’s La Tercera. US Ambassador to Venezuela Patrick Duddy spoke at a Dialogue event with other ambassadors to the Andean region on January 22.
LOBO Takes office in HONDURAS
President Porfirio “Pepe” Lobo assumed office on January 27, ending months of political uncertainty in the wake of Honduras’ presidential coup last June. The Dialogue has offered comprehensive coverage of the ongoing political developments there, and its experts have weighed in on the changing of the guard this month. Michael Shifter was quoted in the Financial Times, La Nación, Bloomberg News, and The Wall Street Journal. The Dialogue hosted Ambassador Hugo Llorens for a discussion on the political outlook in Honduras, and the Latin America Advisor published a Q&A on the prospects for Lobo’s legitimacy.
2009: A difficult year for obama in latin america
Latin American perceptions of U.S. leadership improved dramatically in 2009 as President Barack Obama took office, according to a Gallup poll. Yet despite general public goodwill, and a warm reception at the April Summit of the Americas, the Obama administration faced sharp criticism during its first year over the handling of the coup in Honduras and a military agreement between the United States and Colombia that alienated some countries in South America.
Dialogue president Peter Hakim took a look at Obama's "disappointing" first year in Foreign Affairs en Español and published an Op-Ed in El Universal (Mexico). Michael Shifter, the Dialogue's vice president for policy, weighed in with an article in Current History and twopieces for El Colombiano.
Major Earthquake hits haiti
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti on January 12, just 10 miles southwest of the capital, Port-au-Prince. News agencies report that tens of thousands have died and up to 3 million people have been displaced. Dan Erikson published articles at Foreign Policy, Sphere, and CNN and was quoted by IPS, the Washington Times, and Reuters. Manuel Orozco was quoted in the Washington Post, and Michael Shifter was quoted by the Wall Street Journal and AFP.
2010: The year ahead
This year promises to be one of general—albeit uneven—economic recovery in Latin America and the Caribbean, with some countries pulling ahead and others left behind. Moreover, presidential elections in countries like Chile, Brazil and Colombia could yield some surprises. The Latin America Advisor recently published its annual forecast, which included a Q+A on the prospects for U.S.-Latin American relations with comments from Assistant Secretary of State Arturo Valenzuela and Dialogue president Peter Hakim, among others. Dialogue fellow Paul Isbell wrote a short piece for Infolatam arguing that in 2010 Brazil’s president could become a key broker on global climate change talks. In a forthcoming edition of AmericaEconomia, Peter Hakim and Michael Shifter will take a look at the issues that will dominate global and Latin American politics in 2010. Stay tuned.
The dialogue's 2009 year in review
As 2009 comes to a close, the Dialogue sat down with staff, including Peter Hakim, Michael Shifter, Dan Erikson, Jeff Puryear, and visiting fellow Aurea Molto, to review the significant events of the year and forecast challenges that might lay ahead. Watch the interview with Peter Hakim in its entirety here.
video: a conversation with augusto de la torre of the world bank.
Dialogue President Peter Hakim also comments.
Piñera Wins first round of chilean presidential election
Conservative billionaire Sebastian Piñera won a first-round victory in Chile's presidential election on December 13, setting the stage for a runoff against ruling coalition candidate and former president Eduardo Frei. The Latin America Advisor previewed the elections in a Q+A on December 7. Michael Shifter spoke to Time in the lead-up to the election, and Dialogue Senior Fellow Genaro Arriagada analyzed the results of the first round for CIPER-Chile.
Former Guatemalan vice-president and Dialogue Board member, Eduardo Stein, has been invited by President Porfírio Lobo of Honduras to lead a national truth commission to examine events surrounding the June 2009 ouster of Manuel Zelaya. 
Dilma Rousseff, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's handpicked successor, has been gaining ground on São Paulo Gov. José Serra in polls ahead of Brazil's October presidential election. 
Fending off a late surge by her closest opponents, Laura Chinchilla of the National Liberation Party was elected Costa Rica's first female president on February 7, becoming Latin America's sixth woman to be elected president of her country. She captured 47% of the vote, defeating Ottón Solís of the Citizen Action Party who received 25% of the vote and Otto Guevarra of the Libertarian Movement who came in third with 21%. 
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez faces a number of challenges to his popularity as his government prepares for legislative elections in September, including a countrywide electricity shortage, high inflation and recent protests over the closure of opposition television station RCTV. Michael Shifter commented for media outlets including the 
President Porfirio “Pepe” Lobo assumed office on January 27, ending months of political uncertainty in the wake of Honduras’ presidential coup last June. The Dialogue has offered 
Latin American perceptions of U.S. leadership improved dramatically in 2009 as President Barack Obama took office, according to a Gallup poll. Yet despite general public goodwill, and a warm reception at the April Summit of the Americas, the Obama administration faced sharp criticism during its first year over the handling of the coup in Honduras and a military agreement between the United States and Colombia that alienated some countries in South America. 
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti on January 12, just 10 miles southwest of the capital, Port-au-Prince. News agencies report that tens of thousands have died and up to 3 million people have been displaced. Dan Erikson published articles at 
This year promises to be one of general—albeit uneven—economic recovery in Latin America and the Caribbean, with some countries pulling ahead and others left behind. Moreover, presidential elections in countries like Chile, Brazil and Colombia could yield some surprises. The 
Conservative billionaire Sebastian Piñera won a first-round victory in Chile's presidential election on December 13, setting the stage for a runoff against ruling coalition candidate and former president Eduardo Frei. The 