The triumphant rescue of Chile's entombed miners is also, for the country's political elite, a turning-point in its history. But the narrative of instant renewal evades some of Chile's darker and more complex realities, says Malcolm Coad in Santiago.
We lead this week with explosive, albeit expected, news from Washington DC. Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the Federal government will disregard the will of the people and continue to enforce marijuana prohibition, even if Prop 19 passes.
The meticulous operation that rescued Chile's trapped miners after two months underground highlights the country's economic problems as well as its professional and human assets. This makes its longer-term impact on Chile less than certain, says Carlos Huneeus in Santiago.
A surprising first-round result in Brazil’s presidential election sharpens the fight between Dilma Rousseff and José Serra. Brazilian voters' choice is also between two scenarios for the country's democracy, says Arthur Ituassu in Rio de Janeiro.
An extraordinary Latin American country gifts another story to the world. But Chile's latest epic carries many ghosts in its train, writes Isabel Hilton.
The Chilean miners’ rescue, a inspiring story of human solidarity, offers the nation’s president a miraculous political reward. There are lessons for a European counterpart, says Goran Fejic.
Charles Shaw is currently on a 6-week speaking tour, so I have the honor of leading this week's report - and with only 22 days left until Californians go to the polls to determine the fate of Proposition 19, I lead with encouraging news from the latest Public Policy Institue of California poll.
In a surprisingly short amount of time Brazil's Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT) have come to be seen by many as the party of the establishment. The result has been a swathe of protest votes that have cost Dilma Rousseff an electoral majority and lead to a second round in which the Greens, though el
A confrontation between police and president in Ecuador reveals the flawed governance of an unsettled country, says Carlos de la Torre.
An ambitious new land reform bill, if it is passed, could have a profound impact on Colombia’s prospects for peace
Brazil's presidential election is moving to a climax. A victory for the favourite candidate Dilma Rousseff would also be President Lula's, says Arthur Ituassu in Rio de Janeiro.
Nicaragua's struggle against dictatorship three decades ago inspired the world. The small central American country once more needs wider attention, says its former vice-president Sergio Ramírez.
