Matt Kennard finds inspiration in the ground-up democratic movements of Bolivia, and the progress made by Evo Morales' social policies. This article is cross-posted from the thecommentfactory.com

In this keynote address at the Opening Ceremony of University for Peace Model United Nations Conference, Ambassador Tadeu Valadares discusses the pressing issues of UN reform, globalization, poverty, and human rights, emphasizing the need for stronger collaboration and multilateralism in the international system in order to promote peace and sustainable

Monica Paniagua comments on the current debate in Costa Rica about increasing the scope and weapons of the national police force as a response to the ongoing border dispute with Nicaragua. Paniagua argues that Costa Rica should stay true to its tradition of diplomacy and avoid the slippery slope to

Drawing on four years of field research in two of the most conflict-ridden areas, the Colombian Department of Arauca and the Venezuelan State of Apure and the Colombian Department of Nariño and the Ecuadorian Province of Esmeraldas, this paper identifies conflict dynamics in Colombian border areas and their contributions to

A Special Issue: Violence in Latin America and the Caribbean Author: Ross Ryan Originally Published at Peace and Conflict Monitor on: 04/01/2012   In putting together this special collection of articles for the Peace and Conflict Monitor and highlighting the problem of violence in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)

This article review's Kitzberger's thesis that ideology should be given greater attention in media analyses of Latin America in light of counter examples offered by Gomez Garcia & Terre and Sartoretto. In the end, the article finds that many groups and individuals are calling for media democratization in the region,

The upcoming presidential elections in Mexico may provide an opportunity to break from the failed policies of the ongoing "war on drugs" and pursue an alternative, rights-based, and public health-centered drug policy. After discussing the social costs and self-defeating rhetoric of the "war on drugs", this paper offers some hope

Biofuels have been presented as a solution to many social and economic problems, and have attracted equally strong criticism. In Colombia, palm oil production has been suggested as an alternative to coca, however, as Olivia Gilmore explains, the scheme may cause as many problems as it solves.

Researcher Pamela Huerta offers a nuanced review of Mexico’s anti-drug policy and untangles some of the many socio-economic, political, and institutional factors that have led to heightened levels of violence in the country. As the author demonstrates, the Mexican case sheds light on the larger questions of violence in the

Recently, Mexico inaugurated a new president, Enrique Peña Nieto, on the 1st December 2012, who promised to boost the economy, and reduce organised crime. The return of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) after a 12 years absence has not been a welcome change for the whole population. Mass protests against