Latin America Brief

A one-stop weekly digest of politics, economics, technology, and culture in Latin America. Delivered Friday.

Mexican President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum waves during her victory speech at Zócalo Square in Mexico City on June 3.
Mexican President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum waves during her victory speech at Zócalo Square in Mexico City on June 3.

Claudia Sheinbaum Wins Landslide Victory

Mexico’s next president will command an even bigger congressional majority than AMLO. How will she use it?

World Bank President Ajay Banga, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados, and Germany's Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Svenja Schulze take part in an event at the World Bank headquarters in Washington on April 18.
World Bank President Ajay Banga, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados, and Germany's Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Svenja Schulze take part in an event at the World Bank headquarters in Washington on April 18.

Caribbean Summit Showcases the Power of Island Politics

Vulnerable nations continue to punch above their weight in global debates on climate finance and justice.

Haitians walk past the wall being built on Haiti’s border with the Dominican Republic in Pedernales, Dominican Republic, on May 15.
Haitians walk past the wall being built on Haiti’s border with the Dominican Republic in Pedernales, Dominican Republic, on May 15.

How Fates Diverged in Hispaniola

As the Dominican Republic basks in post-election optimism, Haiti readies for a foreign security intervention.

Mexican presidential candidate Claudia Sheinbaum poses for a selfie with supporters during a campaign rally in Xochimilco, Mexico, on April 29.
Mexican presidential candidate Claudia Sheinbaum poses for a selfie with supporters during a campaign rally in Xochimilco, Mexico, on April 29.

What Madam President Means for Mexico

The country’s top two candidates are women, but feminists aren’t declaring victory yet.

Supporters of Panamanian presidential candidate José Raúl Mulino celebrate his election victory in the Sheraton Hotel in Panama City on May 5.
Supporters of Panamanian presidential candidate José Raúl Mulino celebrate his election victory in the Sheraton Hotel in Panama City on May 5.

Panama Picks a New President

José Raúl Mulino faces an uphill climb out of an economic and political slump.

Chilean police work at the site where three police officers were killed in a Mapuche area in Cañete, in Chile’s Biobió region, on April 27.
Chilean police work at the site where three police officers were killed in a Mapuche area in Cañete, in Chile’s Biobió region, on April 27.

Chile Confronts Organized Crime

A spate of killings has shocked the country, long known for its safety in the region.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at the Colombia-Brazil Business Forum in Bogotá on April 16.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at the Colombia-Brazil Business Forum in Bogotá on April 16.

New Leaders Turn the Region’s Geopolitics on Its Head

Argentina wants to become a NATO partner—and Colombia seeks to join BRICS+.

A view of the main stage during the Web Summit Rio 2024 at the RioCentro Expo Center in Rio de Janeiro on April 16.
A view of the main stage during the Web Summit Rio 2024 at the RioCentro Expo Center in Rio de Janeiro on April 16.

Latin American Start-Ups Make Their Pitch

From fintech to AI, investors are enthusiastic about the region’s growth potential.

Mexican presidential candidate Claudia Sheinbaum speaks at a press conference at the headquarters of the National Electoral Institute in Mexico City after a debate on April 7.
Mexican presidential candidate Claudia Sheinbaum speaks at a press conference at the headquarters of the National Electoral Institute in Mexico City after a debate on April 7.

How Mexico’s Presidential Candidates Could Reshape Security Policy

AMLO’s “hugs, not bullets” approach was more slogan than strategy. Can his successor do better?

The Organization of American States headquarters is seen in Washington on Sept. 22, 2023.
The Organization of American States headquarters is seen in Washington on Sept. 22, 2023.

Can the OAS Protect Peru’s Democracy?

The forum has prevented backsliding elsewhere in the Western Hemisphere.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and French President Emmanuel Macron visit Combu Island, Brazil, on March 26.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and French President Emmanuel Macron visit Combu Island, Brazil, on March 26.

Macron and Lula Deepen Ties With Trip to Amazon

On a whirlwind tour through Brazil, the French president showed that he seeks fraternité with the global south.

A Cuban man pushes a wheelbarrow of waste on a street in Havana on March 18.
A Cuban man pushes a wheelbarrow of waste on a street in Havana on March 18.

Why Cuba Is Protesting

The country is experiencing its worst economic crisis since the end of the Cold War.

World Bank President Ajay Banga, Inter-American Development Bank President Ilan Goldfajn, and International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva take part in a climate finance event during the G-20 finance ministers meeting in São Paulo, Brazil, on Feb. 28.
World Bank President Ajay Banga, Inter-American Development Bank President Ilan Goldfajn, and International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva take part in a climate finance event during the G-20 finance ministers meeting in São Paulo, Brazil, on Feb. 28.

A Quiet Revolution in Climate Finance

The Inter-American Development Bank is piloting new lending practices for the green transition.

Acting Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry delivers remarks in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Jan. 6, 2023.
Acting Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry delivers remarks in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Jan. 6, 2023.

How Haiti’s Unelected Leader Lost America’s Blessing

Neighboring Caribbean countries pushed Washington to support a leadership transition in Port-au-Prince.

Colombian Environment Minister Susana Muhamad holds a press conference at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference in Montreal on Dec. 18, 2022.
Colombian Environment Minister Susana Muhamad holds a press conference at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference in Montreal on Dec. 18, 2022.

Colombia’s Confrontational Climate Policy

How oil-exporting Bogotá became an environmental hawk.

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