The “Natural” Presence of US Armed Forces in Latin America
The “standardization of the armed forces” in Latin America according to the needs of the US has been a constant since the beginnings of the Cold War and continues at the present time.
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The Blood of the Earth: Agriculture, Land Rights, and Haitian History
Today we live in a crucial moment in which peasants are confronting challenges as they grapple with global warming, with the power of multinational companies over what they eat and how they live, and with an agricultural model that can’t provide them livelihood. […]
Operation Car Wash and Slave Labor in Brazil: Who Really Pays for Corruption in Civil Construction?
Investigated by the Federal Police, Brazilian construction companies OAS, Odebrecht, Camargo Corrêa, and Andrade Gutierrez reveal an extensive running list of workplace violations including hiring workers with false promises and exploitation of workers under slave-like conditions.
Words of the Zapatistas on the 22nd Anniversary of the Beginning of the War Against Oblivion
During these 22 years of struggle of Resistance and Rebellion, we have continued to build another form of life, governing ourselves as the collective peoples that we are, according to the seven principles of lead by obeying, building a new system and another form of life as original peoples. One where the people command and the government obeys.
“The Struggle for Land Justice Knows No Borders”: Corporate Pillaging in Haiti
The January 2010 earthquake provided a perfect opportunity for many to come and do business in Haiti. Even prior to the earthquake, Bill Clinton led the discussion on developing Haiti through corporate investment. President Martelly turned that approach into a credo: “Haiti is open for business.” We understand the pretext for this so-called development. The concept of extraction isn’t very well known in Haiti, but the country has had a long history of pillaging by colonial and imperial powers.
An Unstable Balance in Brazil: Impeachment Proceedings Against President Dilma Rousseff Constitute Parliamentary Coup Attempt
“The situation in Brazil today is in a very profound economic, social and especially political crisis. […] There are two very important points: one is the left’s opinion that Dilma’s administration is awful, but that a coup represents Brazil’s dominant political elite’s intent to try to eliminate the PT from the government and introduce a right-wing government, similar to the Paraguayan coup not long ago that deposed Lugo.” – Ricardo Atunes, sociologist at the University of Campinas, Brazil
Mining is Bad Business in Latin America
A decade-long mining boom has left a string of complications–environmental liabilities, social polarization and loss of governmental legitimacy. Meanwhile it has not resolved a single underlying problem. […]
While Left Governments in South America Face Setbacks, Gains of Progressive Period Likely to Endure
The gains of South America’s progressive period, won in the halls of power and in the streets, won’t likely be swept aside anytime soon.
Brazil’s Law of Terror
While Brazil has never officially suffered from a terrorist attack, at the moment the Brazilian congress is debating a counter-terrorism bill that could create further justification for the criminalization of social movements and popular protest.
Venezuela At An Impasse
In the void left by Maduro’s inaction, grassroots activists have turned inwards and begun to seek concrete solutions. With the help of key ministries that continue to grant money to social movements, these activists have become the motor for a renaissance of small-scale production in this oil-dependent nation.