Foreign Policy and National Security
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In December 1994, the UN declared the years from 1995 to 2004 the “International Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples.” The designation was renewed for the years from 2005 to 2014 and rebranded as a “Decade for Action and Dignity.” While some progress has been made toward protecting the rights and dignity of indigenous peoples…
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The multi-billion dollar US-backed “Plan Colombia” initiative that began in the late 1990s and continued in various forms throughout the 2000s has been cited by a number of officials and commentators recently as an example of a counter-insurgency/anti-narcotics operation that has achieved significant progress in dismantling criminal and paramilitary groups operating within that country. Dan Restrepo,…
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When Colombians elected President Juan Manuel Santos to a second term on 15 June 2014, many attributed his victory not to the voters who supported him, but to those who opposed his rival, Oscár Iván Zuluaga. In fact, Santos lost the first round of the election process to Zuluaga on 25 May 2014. Surveys indicated…
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The New York Times just published a new report that adds to the long and lengthening list of horrors experienced by immigrants and their families: The federal government is investigating how detailed information about migrant children being held at two American military bases wound up in the hands of con artists who are using it…
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In 2001, Argentina defaulted on its national debt. More than 90% of lenders subsequently agreed to restructuring deals that allowed the country to exchange new bonds for the defaulted ones at a significant loss for the creditors. However, some investment firms labelled “vulture funds” by their critics – most of which are based in the Cayman Islands – bought up Argentine bonds…
Mike LaSusa 