Jorge G. Castañeda was Mexico’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs from 2000-2003, after joining with his ideological opponent, President Vicente Fox, to create the country’s first democratic government. He is currently Global Distinguished Professor of Politics and Latin American and Caribbean Studies at New York University, and is the author of The Latin American Left After the Cold War and Compañero: The Life and Death of Che Guevara.
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos was right to push for a peace deal with the FARC guerillas before the end of his second term in 2018. But, having staked his political future on the deal, and no… read more
Popular backlash against disruptive change is inevitable, and occasionally serves as a useful counterweight to heedless leadership. What is new today is the extent of the backlash in Europe and North … read more
Barack Obama’s upcoming visit to Cuba – the first such visit in 88 years by a sitting American president – is undoubtedly an historic moment. But a closer look at the US policy of engagement with Cuba… read more
With Latin American voters turning away from their populist leaders, many speculate that the “pink tide” that has pushed the region to the left over the last 15 years is finally turning. But the defea… read more
Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua, all but forgotten by the international community, have grown rife with violence and criminality. But now there is reason to hope that these countries’ … read more
Latin America has been plagued by corruption for centuries. But, in responding to recent corruption scandals, the region's societies and institutions have shown their unwillingness to remain complicit… read more
For the last 15 years, major Latin American countries have largely ignored the crisis in Venezuela, refusing to condemn or support its leadership's incompetence and abuses. Now that President Barack O… read more
Mexico is facing its worse crisis in 20 years, as protests against violence and corruption threaten to derail Enrique Peña Nieto's presidency. Peña Nieto must confront the political elite that brought… read more
The agreement between the US and Cuba to resume diplomatic relations looks like a victory for the communist island. But that conclusion leaves out a crucial variable: the collapse in the price of oil,… read more
