The once-localized and relatively contained popular unrest in the southern state of Oaxaca has evolved into the onset of a violent rebellion likely to permanently stain the early days of Calderón’s presidency, and his ability to rule the country effectively After being temporarily eclipsed on the national scene, the defeated leftist presidential candidate, Andres Manuel López Obrador, is making his high risk feint of trying to capitalize on Oaxaca’s chaos to boost his own...
With a political climate still marred by the recollections of bitter past confrontations, such as the failed opposition-led coup in April 2002, the ensuing general strike, and bitter, partisan divisions between the ruling party and the opposition, all may not be lost at next Sunday’s presidential contest. While President Chávez, perhaps prophetically, acts as if a coronation awaits him, the modus operandi of the opposition, led by Manuel Rosales, viciously discredits Chávez by using...
The Pink Tide resumes its South American course A major defeat for U.S. regional diplomacy Malign neglect does not work when it comes to advancing genuine U.S. national interests The astonishing comeback of Rafael Correa from what appeared to be a definitive first round defeat marks one of the most extraordinary reversals of the political fate of a South American leader within memory. Correa’s victory also represents a significant triumph for the average Ecuadorean...
A quality candidate versus a billionaire intent to purchase himself the country’s presidency On November 26, Ecuadorians will be heading to the polls for the second time in six weeks to decide who will be the country’s next president, amidst a highly polarized contest. The first-round election, which was held on October 15, rewarded the billionaire banana tycoon, Álvaro Noboa, with 26.83 percent of the vote. Noboa beat his nearest contender, Rafael Correa Delgado,...
Just as the predecessor Clinton administration dealt a mortal blow to the Caribbean banana sector in exchange for a hefty donation from the then head of the Chiquita Corp., Karl Linder; President Bush’s initiative – perhaps inadvertently – similarly could bring great woe upon the Caribbean tourism industry Costly U.S. travel initiative will require Caribbean-bound U.S. tourists traveling by air to carry passports The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) will snuff out “impulse tourism”...
