Latin American & Caribbean Remittances, 2015
The Continued Growth of Family Remittances to Latin America and the Caribbean in 2015
Analysis
Cuba & the US Rejoin the Hemisphere
The historic rapprochement between Cuba and the US will have permanent implications for hemispheric relations.
Will Cuba Mean Opportunity or Risk for US Banks?
What are the main challenges US banks must overcome in order to do business in Cuba?
Fidel Castro’s controversial legacy
Castro, who led Cuba for nearly 50 years, died Friday. In 2006, he had transferred the presidency to his younger brother, Raul Castro, after a debilitating intestinal ailment. Fidel Castro’s vision and iron rule shaped every aspect of life in Cuba and its relations worldwide. Many, perhaps most, Cubans would say he held power too tightly and too long. He was Latin America’s most prominent 20th century leader, but his legacy remains to be defined.
Obama in Havana
President Barack and Michelle Obama’s trip to Cuba, scheduled for March 21 and 22, is aimed at making the normalization of relations with the island, begun little more than a year ago, “an irreversible policy.” From a US perspective, the policy already looks pretty much irreversible.
The US-Cuba Thaw and Hemispheric Relations
The removal of the failed policy of isolating Cuba is a major step forward.
US-LAC Relations After December 17
The restoration of diplomatic ties between the US and Cuba could bring about a broad new era for US trade, diplomacy, and strategic interests across the hemisphere.
Latin America’s Political Pendulum
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.
Fidel at 90
Fidel Castro was Latin America’s most prominent 20th century leader. What is unclear is how he will be remembered—for governing Cuba with a progressive agenda or for keeping the island isolated and underdeveloped.
Speak Softly, but Carry a Big Dream: The Pope in Cuba
Like John Paul II, Pope Francis knows that whatever he wants to accomplish in Cuba demands patience and perseverance.
Cuba 1.5?
When Yoani Sánchez started blogging, she probably did not anticipate the worldwide impact that her portrayal of life in Havana would have.
Central America in the Face of Cuban Migration
In the current international environment, any situation regarding migration turns into a diplomatic issue over border control.
Did Fidel Destroy His Own Legacy?
No one can deny Fidel Castro his place in history. He was, by any measure, the most prominent political figure in Latin America in the 20th century, maybe since Christopher Columbus. The question is whether the narrative will be mostly about bold dreams and progressive change—or about oppression and stagnation in Cuba.
Vientos nuevos desde el sur
La encuesta del GDA a líderes de opinión muestra que el 2015 marcó una nueva etapa para el continente americano e ilustra los temas que serán centrales en el año que comienza. Fue un año de avances en la resolución de conflictos históricos y de cambio político en muchos países.
How Will New U.S. Financial Rules Affect Cuba?
The U.S. government put new regulations into effect March 15 aimed at making it easier for U.S. banks to process financial transactions involving Cuban entities or Cuban nationals, as well as allowing Cubans to open U.S. bank accounts. How important are the rule changes for financial services companies that want to do business in Cuba?