Blogs

Below are selected headlines from Latin American media on the death of Margaret Thatcher

Uruguayan President Jose Mujica's lifestyle is a sharp contrast with that of many other world leaders. President Mujica has opted to live in his wife's farmhouse outside Montevideo rather than in the opulent Suarez Residence, the official residence of the president. Mujica, who gives 90 percent of his salary to charity, is critical of many world leaders who he views as having a "blind obsession to achieve growth with consumption, as if the contrary would mean the end of the world."

Chilean presidential candidate, and spring Journal issue author, Michelle Bachelet announced her intent to end for-profit education in Chile. Candidate Bachelet made the announcement at a rally held on Tuesday in the Conchalí district of Santiago. The rally was Bachelet’s first public appearance since returning to Chile from New York, where she has worked as the director of UN Women for the last two and a half years, and announced her candidacy.

Brazil has been called a country that punches below its weight in foreign affairs. It has the worlds fifth largest population and seventh largest economy, yet it struggles to match its size with relevance on the international stage. Why isn't Brazils foreign policy more activist, commensurate with its economic and political aspirations? Do Brazilian citizens even want a more activist foreign policy, do they care? Is Brazil large and self-sufficient, an inherently inward-looking country for whom foreign policy does not come naturally?

In Latin America, militaries have largely shed their role as interventionists. Instead, popular politics are becoming stronger as democracy joins with a politically active middle class. Elections favor catering toward the short-term demands of constituents, which inevitably leads to a lower priority for infrastructure development, education, and other long-term initiatives. History, however, has shown that populism is not economically sustainable and leads to a return of authoritarianism.

Latin American leaders—who have put in place some of the world’s highest trade barriers—agreed to fight protectionism in a summit with their European Union counterparts this weekend. The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), and the EU signed a joint declaration on 26 January that embraces international trade and respect for legal frameworks.