Latin America Update, April 2014
In 'Latin America Update' Gateway House lists some of the important events in Latin America over the past month
Courtesy: Google Maps
Courtesy: Google Maps
Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
The Left surge in Latin America
Latin America continues to turn to the Left. Michelle Bachelet became president of Chile in March and has promised fiscal reform; Salvador Sanchez Ceren took over as president of El Salvador in June and will tackle inequality; and in Costa Rica too, the centre-left Luis Guillermo Solis assumed power
Courtesy: Indianhillybilly and Ambuj.Saxena/Wikimedia Commons
Election 2014: A view from the U.S.
As India goes to the polls, many in the U.S. and at home will hope that a new government will usher in a new era in the India-U.S. bilateral. Yet, past condemnations of the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate and the Obama administration’s liberal leaning bureaucrats might prove to be stumbling blocks
Courtesy: U.S. Central Intelligence Agency/Wikimedia Commons
South China Sea: a new war brewing
China is reportedly taking advantage of the situation in Ukraine to further its claims in the South China Sea. Its aggressive stance has pushed the Philippines to approach The Hague for arbitration. There are concerns that the tensions could lead to a breakdown of trade routes in the Western Pacific
Courtesy: Foreign Affairs
Eastern Europe Goes South
Many eastern European states who are part of the EU and were admitted only after being deemed compliant with the Copenhagen criteria have seen political parties in these countries become increasingly illiberal
Courtesy: Alfred A. Knopf
Book review: Igniting a debate on U.S. war policy
‘Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War’ paints an unflattering and scary picture of the workings of Washington. The book stresses that U.S. presidents have too often been too quick to use military force
‘The major implication is symbolic’
Ronen Sen, former Indian Ambassador to Russia and the United States, talks about the global implications of Russia’s suspension from the G8. In an interview to Gateway House, he also discusses the impact of these developments on major geopolitical issues like Iran and Syria
Courtesy: Partha Sarathi Sahana/Flickr
Pre-election flood of fake currency
Fake currency, widely in circulation in India, has become a serious threat with counterfeiters taking advantage of the election season to pump in more money. India has implemented counter-measures, but must utilise advanced techniques and sensitise local law enforcement machinery to counter the menace
Courtesy: Staff Sgt. Christopher Allison/Wikimedia Commons
Afghanistan: At a turning point
The presidential election is vital not only for Afghanistan’s future but also for the stability of the region. The ensuing race has thrown up candidates from various ethnicities and they face an uphill task with a resurgent Taliban and a former President who still hopes to be a force in the political arena
Courtesy: GOV.UK/Flickr
The G8 is G7 again
A slumped arms industry and the U.S. shale gas sector will gain from NATO’s threat of stricter sanctions and suspension of Russia from the G8. BRICS has protested, but unless we consolidate alternate international financial structures, even other big economies like India can eventually be the targets of sanctions