Twitter: latamthought- MT @aleszubajak: Can Colombia attract top scientists and spur innovation? The future of science in #Colombia on http://t.co/bAB38ils
- MT @FrancMex: Mexico's competition watchdog has upheld a fine of almost $1 billion against Telcel, Carlos Slim's mobile phone company.
- Relatively detailed account of money laundering from Guatemala to Panama http://t.co/Whkxu19p
- Via @RioGringa: Symbolism really does matter http://t.co/JI0xxewE
Category Archives: Venezuela
Venezuelan-Colombian Relations at World Politics Review
Diplomatic relations between Colombia and Venezuela have been at the front lines since a Spanish judge accused Venezuela of assisting FARC rebels on March 1, two years to the day after a raid by Colombian soldiers in Ecuador prompted one of the worst regional diplomatic disputes in recent memory.
The accusations are hardly new; in fact, [...]
Also posted in Colombia Tagged Alvaro Uribe, Diplomacy, FARC, Hugo Chavez, World Politics Review Leave a comment
Venezuelan Influence in Nicaraguan Media
Another opposition media outlet has fallen. And it’s not in Venezuela.
Albanisa, a Venezuelan-owned conglomerate that controls below market-value Venezuelan oil imports in Nicaragua and has business ties to Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, recently announced the formal purchase of Canal 8, a leading anti-Ortega media outlet, for US$10 million. The deal, which went through in December [...]
Anti-drug bases in Panama and the Drug War in 2010
One of the biggest stories emerging from the Americas in 2009 was Colombia’s decision to let the United States access military installations throughout Colombia in efforts to combat narcotrafficking. The move exacerbated already tenuous relations between Colombia and Venezuela, with the latter claiming that US presence in Colombia was a direct threat to sovereignty, another [...]
“Tres Perguntas a…LatAmThought”
The Portuguese Daily Economico recently asked on our open forum to answer a few questions regarding the comments made by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez during the week of 10 August about “winds of war” blowing in the region. Below is the response to those questions:
1. How do you interpret the declarations of president Chávez about [...]
China’s Shopping Sprees Head South: Forget “Howdy,” Now It’s Ni Hao
This piece first appeared here on ‘China Calling,’ the blog from Newsweek’s Beijing bureau on Wednesday, March 4, 2009.
Let’s hope China’s top diplomats have frequent flier accounts. Given the amount of time and money they’re spending on travels, President Hu Jintao and Vice President Xi Jinping’s loose wallets could benefit from some free upgrades. It’s [...]
Venezuela Referendum 2009: Why it matters
Some have argued that the upcoming referendum this Sunday in Venezuela is not all that significant, pointing out that if Chavez loses he will simply try again until he succeeds or that Venezuela’s economic situation is so dire that even if he wins, the next few years will overshadow this particular referendum. While I believe [...]
Chavez and Anti-Semitism in Venezuela
In the past few days Venezuelan President Chavez has been accused by many of instigating the attacks on the oldest synagogue in Caracas last Friday, which left damaged Torahs and graffiti on walls with statements such as “Get out, Jews!” While the accusations have focused mostly on Chavez’s statements on the recent events with Gaza [...]
The Role of the State and the Black Markets of La Guajira
Riding in an old Renault at night in La Guajira, Colombia’s northernmost state, our driver, Edison, recognizes an opportunity to fill up his tank not by Chevron, Shell, or Texaco signs over a gas station, but by the sight of a large red plastic container under the only lit lightbulb in sight on the side [...]
Also posted in Colombia Tagged Alvaro Uribe, Black Markets, border issues, drug war, Hugo Chavez, Oil Leave a comment
Iran’s Involvement in Latin America
Tensions between the United States and Iran may soon spill over from the Middle East into Latin America. On a recent 5-day trip to Iran in December 2008, Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmandinejad declared theirs to be a strategic alliance that transcends bi-national trade in a meeting between [...]
Colombia on the International Stage