Posts From Martina Pantano
An Isolated Argentina seeks an Alliance with Mexico- What are the Implications?
As Argentina becomes more isolated in the region, its President, Alberto Fernandez, is seeking closer relations with Mexico. Is a strategic alliance between the two countries possible? What are the implications for the region?
Honduras and Vaccine Diplomacy: Are Increased Relations with China Likely?
Honduras, one of the few countries that recognize Taiwan as a sovereign state, is making attempts to build diplomatic bridges with China in order to acquire the much needed Covid-19 vaccines. So far, only 1% of the Honduran population has been vaccinated. This situation constitutes another chapter in the so-called ‘vaccine diplomacy’, where geopolitics comes into play in vaccine acquisition.
Ecuador’s constitutional court decriminalizes abortion in cases of rape
On April 28th 2021 Ecuador’s Constitutional Court voted to decriminalize abortion in cases of rape, marking a milestone for women’s reproductive rights in Latin America. However, the deeply divisive nature of the debate means that the complete decriminalization of abortion in the near future remains unlikely.
Peru: Voters take to the polls amid a political and public-health crisis
On April 11th, Peru held the first round of its presidential elections, after which candidates Keiko Fujimori and Pedro Castillo emerged in the lead. The second and final round of Peru’s presidential election will take place this Sunday. Whoever is ultimately successful at becoming Peru’s new President will face institutional challenges exacerbated by a public-health crisis.
Brazil’s Attitude Towards the Pandemic Poses a Serious Threat to the Region
Since the start of the pandemic, Brazil has become an epicenter for the spread of coronavirus in the region. Jair Bolsonaro has opposed lockdowns, supported unreliable medical treatments, and downplayed the impact of COVID-19 in the country. The eruption of the new Brazilian variant (known as P1) is dominating the country. This scenario has alerted leaders, who have taken measures to prevent this new and highly contagious variant from proliferating freely. The situation is becoming a threat to the region. The lack of policies can lead to the outbreak of new coronavirus variants that can alter vaccination plans in the rest of the continent.
Mercosur’s Birthday Celebration Reveals a Path towards Irrelevancy
The risk of Mercosur becoming another failed attempt of regional integration in Latin America has been rising steadily in the last two decades and is likely to increase even more in the current scenario. The tension between leaders on Mercosur’s last summit demonstrates a lack of internal cohesion that will lead the bloc towards failure and irrelevancy.
