The Arévalo administration in Guatemala confronted a myriad of challenges even before the inauguration, including what Arévalo himself called an attempted “coup” waged by powerful economic and political actors, known as the “pact of the corrupt.” As Guatemala embarks on a new chapter, the Arévalo administration encounters increasingly high expectations for transformative change.
Earl Jarrett, chief executive officer of the Jamaica National Group, has been selected as chairman of the Electoral Commission of Jamaica (ECJ), effective March 1.
On Oct. 20, Bolivian President Evo Morales will go to the polls in search of a fourth term. Victory would extend his time in office to almost two decades, and — depending on how the election goes — could place democracy itself at risk in the Andean country.
The pendulum of Latin American politics is swinging rightward once again. Yet as the “pink tide” recedes, the forces of change have more to do with socioeconomics than ideology. Dramatic economic and political crises have coincided in countries like Brazil and Venezuela. Still, the final result for Latin America may be the emergence of centrist, pragmatic modes of governance, and with them, opportunities for the U.S. to improve relations. The new administration must look beyond the neoliberal model of the 1990s, and develop an approach to relations fit for the 21st century.