Guatemalans vote Sunday in a tight presidential race marred by violence and mudslinging. The winner faces the challenge of halting a rising crime rate. Read more. The new issue of Americas Quarterly, released November 2, examines security in Latin America. AS/COA produced a July 2007 report outlining means to boost the rule of law in the Americas.
After winning nearly 45 percent of the vote in the first round of elections, President-Elect Cristina Fernández de Kirchner will assume office on December 10. Continued economic growth and revamping the national statistics institute will be top concerns.
On October 28, over 15 million Colombians cast ballots to elect 32 governors and 1,098 mayors and local council members. In a key election, Samuel Moreno of the Polo Democrática Alternativo won the Bogotá mayorship.
AS/COA hosted an October 11 luncheon discussion with Brazilian governors Wilma M. de Faria, Cássio Cunha Lima, and Roberto Requião to talk about opportunities in the areas of biofuels, tourism, infrastructure, environmental policies, and social development.
President Rafael Correa claimed victory after voters went to the polls to select members of a constitutional assembly. Although official results were not yet available, Correa's Alianza Pais party appeared poised to gain the necessary majority to rewrite the country's constitution. Correa discussed refinancing Ecuador's debt during a speech at AS/COA last week.
With former President Alberto Fujimori returning to Peru to stand trial for corruption and human rights abuses, AS/COA looks at his impending trial. A new update also examines the country’s overall economic performance, including potential ramifications of discontent in the mining industry.