February 2010
Lula’s Last Year
by Kenneth Maxwell
“Brazil’s emergence as a major economic and political player in international affairs, together with Lula’s role in this achievement, is one of the more remarkable developments of the past decade.”
How Reform Has Powered Brazil’s Rise
by Riordan Roett
“…After the military rule and the ineffectual civilian governments that the country endured from 1964 to 1994, Brazil has turned the corner.”
Brazil as Regional Leader: Meeting the Chávez Challenge
by Sean W. Burges
“Lula has regarded regional involvement as a means to strengthen Brazilian industry for global competition and to establish his country as a credible actor on the world stage.”
Brazil and the New Global Order
by Andrew Hurrell
“Brazilian foreign policy under Lula has emphasized not only traditional multilateralism but also membership in the new formal and informal groupings that have emerged at the heart of a new world order.”
Obama and Latin America: New Beginnings, Old Frictions
by Michael Shifter
“Signs of frustration are unmistakable in Washington and in many Latin American capitals, despite Obama’s immense personal appeal and the continued promise of a more productive partnership.”
The Return of Continuismo?
by Shelley A. McConnell
“Latin America is witnessing an all-too-familiar pattern of presidents’ manipulating the constitutional framework to seek additional terms in office.”
Perspective: Perilous Times for Latin America
by Theodore J. Piccone
The recent economic downturn has reinforced the view that governments in Latin America need to be stronger. But will stronger states be more democratic?
Books: The Accidental Coup
by William W. Finan Jr.
A new book revisits Venezuela’s political crisis of April 2002, when President Hugo Chávez was forced out of office and then quickly reinstated.
The Month in Review
by the editors of Current History
An international chronology of events in December 2009, country by country, day by day.
Map of Latin America
by the editors of Current History
Map of Latin America
