2016: A Year of Turbulences That Have Just Begun
The international order based on the United States’ engaged leadership seems to be ending. What will replace them remains unclear.
Analysis
A Difficult Balancing Act
After winning a second term, the hard work now begins for President Juan Manuel Santos.
As Mining Sector Takes Off, Colombia Must Take Care
Colombia is in the midst of a mining boom. The challenge for President Santos is to capitalize on the sector’s promise.
What Did the Summit of the Americas Accomplish, if Anything?
The Summit of the Americas was marked by discord between the US and Latin American countries. What did it accomplish, if anything?
Colombia Looks Past Washington
While Santos is familiar with Chávez’s unpredictability and knows as well as anyone where the FARC rebels are and what they are up to, he also knows the economic stakes for Colombia.
What has Colombia’s Santos Achieved in his First Year?
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos last week completed his first year in office. What is behind his high approval rating, and will he be able to sustain it?
Oil and Commodities: The End of the “Age of Abundance”
Across Latin America, the sustained decline in global oil prices has had a profound impact on economic growth, political stability and the viability of resource nationalism – when governments assert more control over the nation’s natural resources.
Video
Los venezolanos no creen hoy en mediadores
Michael Shifter es entrevistado por Juan Carlos Iragorri desde Madrid sobre la crisis en Venezuela y la próxima visita de Juan Manuel Santos a Washington.
Latin America’s Presidential Elections: Are Mexico, Brazil and Colombia Ready for Anti-Establishment Candidates?
Next year, critical elections in Latin America’s three most populous countries—Colombia, Mexico and Brazil—are likely to reveal a distemper stemming from citizen disgust with a mix of corruption scandals, mediocre economies, unremitting violence and a largely discredited political class. All three presidential contests are wide open and ripe for anti-establishment challengers.
Video
2018, un año de elecciones decisivas en América Latina
En este programa especial de Club de Prensa, Michael Shifter conversa sobre lo que esperar en 2018 – un año clave para el destino de América Latina.
Video
Trump promoverá su agenda en América Latina en su visita a Perú y Colombia
El presidente Donald Trump participará en la Cumbre de las Américas en Perú el 13 y 14 de abril. Después viajará a Colombia, en una visita que según la Casa Blanca resalta el compromiso del mandatario con la región. Juan Carlos López de CNN en Español analiza esta agenda con Michael Shifter.
Duque Vows Crackdown on Criminals if Elected Colombia’s President
Colombian presidential candidate Iván Duque vowed to hold criminals accountable, crack down on corruption, and push through sweeping reforms at an event Thursday at the Inter-American Dialogue.
“Es exagerado afirmar que si Petro gana, Colombia sería otra Venezuela”
La izquierda y el fervor religioso se hacen un lugar en medio de los históricos récords de impopularidad de los mandatarios salientes este año: Santos, Temer, Peña Nieto, Cartes y Solís, quienes difícilmente superan el 20 por ciento de aprobación a su gestión. Michael Shifter analiza en esta entrevista con Semana este incierto panorama político de 2018.
Video
A Conversation with Mauricio Cárdenas
“Despite the 2008 economic recession and the ensuing decrease in the value of commodities, Colombia has maintained a steady growth rate and continued foreign investment”, said Mauricio Cárdenas, Colombia’s Minister of Finance and Public Credit, during an April 19 discussion at the Inter-American Dialogue.
Will Colombia Make Peace With Its Peace Deal?
As the first Colombian election after the historic signing of the peace deal approaches, the good news is that the conflict has blessedly ended, but the implementation of the accord has been complicated and contentious. It does not help that the political establishment stands fractured and discredited. The risk is that the country’s unsettled politics could upend the peace.