Paraguay, Haiti and Bolivia are the highest-risk countries for money laundering in Latin America and the Caribbean, while Colombia has the region’s lowest risk for the crime, according to an Aug. 16 report by the Basel Institute on Governance. What are the main factors behind the prevalence of money laundering in the high-risk countries and for Colombia’s relatively low risk? How well have the governments of the countries above addressed money laundering, and what more should they be doing? Are banks in these countries doing enough to prevent the practice, and what additional safeguards, if any, should they put in place?
The U.S. Federal Reserve on Sept. 20 announced its decision to keep interest rates steady and to begin unwinding stimulus it put in place amid the Great Recession. What effect will the Fed’s decision have on emerging markets, specifically in Latin America?
World leaders traveled to the United Nations for its General Assembly in mid-September, with speeches including ones from Brazilian President Michel Temer decrying protectionism, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos backing peace processes, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet stressing the need to fight climate change and U.S. President Donald Trump articulating his “America First” vision to a global audience. What were the biggest takeaways for the Western Hemisphere following the assembly?
The U.S. State Department in early October expelled 15 Cuban diplomats in protest of what it said was Cuba’s failure to protect American envoys in Havana from a series of mysterious attacks that caused hearing loss and other ailments. What do the decisions to expel and withdraw diplomatic staff indicate about the future of U.S.-Cuban relations?
Hundreds of buildings in Mexico are reportedly at risk of collapsing or experiencing even greater damage following the powerful earthquakes that struck the country in September. Could more stringent building codes and construction designed to withstand earthquakes have prevented the building collapses seen last month, and should the government take steps to require such changes?
The fourth round of negotiations for the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, ended on Oct. 17 with U.S., Mexican and Canadian negotiators deciding to prolong the talks through next March, abandoning their goal of reaching an agreement by year-end. Will negotiators be able to strike a deal amenable to all three countries?
Venezuelan opposition leader and former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles on Oct. 24 withdrew from the opposition Democratic Unity Roundtable, or MUD, highlighting a rift in the coalition. What does Capriles’ decision mean for the coalition’s leadership, and what should be the MUD’s strategy looking forward?
The lower house of Brazil’s Congress on Oct. 25 voted for the second time this year to spare President Michel Temer from a trial before the Supreme Court on corruption charges. Which is more urgent for Brazil: pursuing corruption investigations—wherever they may lead—and punishing the guilty, or reviving the country’s crippled economy and reigniting stalled social progress?
President Nicolás Maduro this month called for a restructuring of Venezuela’s massive debt, estimated at $120 billion. The announcement led to a selloff in the country’s bonds and was seen as a sign that Maduro’s government may finally be reaching the limits of its ability to pay its debts. Russia later agreed to a $3.5 billion debt restructuring with Venezuela. How much success will Maduro have in restructuring Venezuela’s debt, and could such a move lead Venezuela to emerge from its economic crisis?
Luis Vicente León, Richard Francis, Eva Golinger, Charles Shapiro
The head of Peru’s Ministry of Energy and Mines, Cayetana Aljovín, estimated it would cost Peru some $1.05 billion to close the electrification gap in the country. What infrastructure will Peru have to build in order to realize this goal?
Conservative presidential candidate Sebastián Piñera, who led Chile from 2010 to 2014, on Dec. 17 will face off against center-leftist Alejandro Guillier in a runoff that polls suggest will be very close. Who will win and why?
Every year in the Americas, noncommunicable diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory diseases and diabetes, cause four out of every five deaths, with that figure only expected to grow in the coming decades, according to the Pan American Health Organization. Are governments in the region focusing enough on preventing and treating lifestyle diseases, and how can they pay for those efforts?
Former Chilean President Sebastián Piñera on Sunday defeated his opponent Alejandro Guillier in the country’s presidential runoff election. To what can Piñera attribute his victory?
Several public officials in Peru have resigned in the wake of President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski’s near-impeachment and his subsequent pardoning of former President Alberto Fujimori, who was serving a 25-year prison sentence for abuse of power and human rights violations. Will Kuczynski be able to complete his five-year term?
Francisco Durand, Cynthia McClintock, Alexander F. Watson, Julio Carrión, Carlos Arata
