Conventional wisdom held that Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez would see decreased power after September 2010 midterm elections. In an article for ForeignAffairs.com, AS/COA’s Christopher Sabatini dispels this notion and forecasts that the Chávez government will step up expropriations ahead of the 2012 presidential vote.

As natural disasters impact crop yields and global food prices continue to rise, experts worry that food scarcity will continue to haunt Latin America’s poor and vulnerable in 2011.

Leopoldo López, founder of Voluntad Popular and prominant politician, joined Americas Society and Council of the Americas on December 13 for a discussion about Venezuela’s political and economic outlook ahead of December 2012 presidential elections. Watch the video.

Torrential downpours led the three countries to declare states of emergency, though how each handled the challenge differs.

In the September 26 parliamentary election, an opposition coalition ended the two-thirds majority control over the National Assembly held by President Hugo Chávez’s United Socialist Party of Venezuela.

Control over Venezuela’s National Assembly is at stake in the September 26 legislative election.

Caracas and Bogota are taking steps to bury the hatchet in what could lead to economic benefits for both sides.