Editor’s Picks: Top Content from the Latin America Advisor 2019
Top selections from the Latin America Advisor’s editorial staff of issues covering especially important developments during 2019, a remarkable year for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Analysis
Video
Latin America’s Autumn of Discontent
On November 6, the Inter-American Dialogue hosted the event “Latin America’s Autumn of Discontent” in order to pinpoint some underlying drivers and discuss the interrelatedness of the mass demonstrations, contentious elections, and constitutional crises facing the region.
Presentation to Elcano Institute: Clean Energy Auctions in Latin America
Lisa Viscidi, director of the Energy, Climate Change and Extractive Industries Program, gave a presentation to the Energy Working Group of the Elcano Institute on clean energy auctions in Latin America and how their intelligent design could benefit other countries in the region.
Do the Amazon Fires Point the Way for Future International Efforts to Combat Climate Change?
The fires in the Amazon expose the very heart of the greatest collective action problem that humanity has faced, and it foreshadows harder battles to come. The actions of each individual country have consequences for the global climate, yet perpetrators are loath to make sacrifices when others, especially those with equal or greater responsibility, are not doing the same. The fact that threats of economic punishment seem to have shifted Brazil’s behavior suggests that a similar approach could be taken to address climate change on a larger scale. But it will not be easy, especially where the biggest emitters are concerned.
Video
Amazon Fires: Bolsonaro Says Brazil Cannot Fight Them
As wildfires rage in the Brazilian portion of the Amazon rainforest, Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro finds himself under increased international scrutiny. Program Director Lisa Viscidi comments for BBC World News on Bolsonaro’s policies toward the Amazon.
Video
The Oil from Ipanema
Brazil has vast oil reserves, but can the Bolsonaro government get the energy to market? Lisa Viscidi tells Richard Miles of CSIS that reforms are already in place that will enable oil production “to take off.” The real obstacles are the financial stability of Petrobras, the shaky state oil conglomerate, and the monopoly that the state has on most aspects of energy production, delivery, and even retail sales.
China’s Agro-Industrial Interests in Latin America
The China-Latin America agro-industrial relationship has been growing, and at a notable pace, prompted in large part by China’s evolving food security strategy
Brazil’s Energy Sector Needs Reform. Is Bolsonaro Up to the Task?
Revitalizing Brazil’s energy sector will be key to Jair Bolsonaro’s success as president – but so far, he’s had mixed results when it comes to getting reforms through Congress. Unless Bolsonaro learns to work with legislators and ease turbulence within his government, Brazil’s missing energy reforms will continue to threaten its economy, and its politics.
Video
The Historic Blackout in Argentina and Uruguay
Lisa Viscidi, director of the Energy, Climate Change & Extractive Industries Program, appeared on CGTN to discuss the reasons for the unprecedented blackout that affected all of Argentina and Uruguay and parts of Paraguay on June 16, how it affects Argentine President Mauricio Macri’s re-election campaign, and whether it could happen again.
Nearing the Tipping Point: Drivers of Deforestation in the Amazon Region
The largest tropical rainforest on the planet, the Amazon plays a critical role as a storehouse of carbon and mediator of the global water cycle and holds a greater share of the world’s known biodiversity than any other ecosystem. However, unchecked development is placing the Amazon under threat, pushing deforestation rates to near-record levels throughout the region.
Should Brazil Do More to Boost its High-Tech Sector?
Why does Brazil’s high-tech industry contribute less to GDP now than it did in the 1980s?
Do Latin American Members Benefit From the OECD?
What advantages and disadvantages does being part of the OECD bring for Latin American countries and the region as a whole?
Video
Bolsonaro & Trump: What Lies Ahead for Brazil-US Relations?
On March 13 the Inter-American Dialogue and Johns Hopkins University´s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) hosted a discussion on the Trump Bolsonaro summit, and what we can expect from the relationship between the new Brazilian administration and the United States.
What do analysts think about Brazil’s entry into the OECD
Peter Hakim, president emeritus of the Inter-American Dialogue, spoke to Brazilian newspaper O Estadão. In this interview he analyzes the idea of Brazil’s admission to the OECD and the relationship between Trump and Bolsonaro.
Video
Foreign Policy in Bolsonaro’s Brazil
On February 11th, the Inter-American Dialogue and Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) hosted the third event in a series dedicated to Brazil.