Jan 10Lula, four years to save BrazilLast June in Tabatinga, deep in the Amazon, an Indigenous Ticuna healer told me he had a vision of “Lula floating toward the Planalto” — Brazil’s government house. The healer, who also was a pastor of a Pentecostal church, told me that Bolsonaro was “louco” — crazy. The dream of…Brazil4 min readBrazil4 min read
Sep 2, 2022Nicaragua’s Catholic Church: A Nuanced ConflictThe Catholic priest and poet Ernesto Cardenal was a moral figure of the Sandinista National Liberation Front, FLSN, the left-wing political party and guerrilla movement that ended the US-backed Somoza dictatorship in 1979. In 1990 Ernesto Cardenal resigned from the FLSN. Father Cardenal, who died in 2020, charged Daniel Ortega…Nicaragua4 min readNicaragua4 min read
Mar 4, 2022Brazilians put Bolsonaro on noticeOctober 2 2021 The nationwide massive street rallies against President Jair Bolsonaro has marked a turning point for this divisive proto-fascist leader. These are the first rallies on the streets since March 2020, when the pandemic arrived in Brazil. Due to the health emergency, the Brazilian left has refrained from…Bolsonaro4 min readBolsonaro4 min read
May 21, 2021The first millennial left-wing president, Chile’s Gabriel BoricA pragmatic proponent of “radical democracy”, Boric ties to international change with careful statements at home. Published 15 March 2022 13:00 Follow @ACReporter Last Friday, on 11 March, the world’s first millennial president was sworn in — Gabriel Boric. A leftist of 36 years of age, he will govern Chile…Chile4 min readChile4 min read
Apr 20, 2021Hong Kong not in the mood for loveIn 2012 I speculated that the election of Leung Chun-Ying as chief executive on 25 March that year ‘went down as the day Beijing put another nail in the democratic aspirations of Hong Kong. Two years on, and in light of the current demonstrations in this city of 7.2 …Hong Kong4 min readHong Kong4 min read
Mar 16, 2021Slave Labour in Hong KongWhen Fray Bartolomé de las Casas, a 16th-century Spanish chronicler, saw the abuses suffered by Native American slaves, he is said to have uttered the words: ‘I don’t know whether to laugh, or cry.’ …Hong Kong4 min readHong Kong4 min read
Mar 16, 2021China in Latin AmericaLatin America and the Caribbean are the next stop in China’s global expansion. The first-ever Chinese white paper for this region, released on 4 November 2008, doesn’t leave any doubt about China’s intentions. …China7 min readChina7 min read
Mar 1, 2021COVID 19 deepens the human tragedy of Latin American informal workersFrom street vendors to domestic workers, the Latin American economy is largely informal. In the midst of the devastating pandemic, the human suffering of informal workers has been dramatically exposed. Antonio Castillo writes. Silvana told me she couldn’t remember when she began selling pineapple juice on Miguel Grau Avenue, one…10 min read10 min read
Aug 6, 2020In Latin America, the pandemic is killing indigenous storytellersFor indigenous communities in Latin America, COVID-19 is having an immeasurable impact on the bastions of traditional knowledge. As the pandemic advances inexorably in Latin America, the wretched tales of loss and suffering are never-ending. …1 min read1 min read
Aug 5, 2020Covid-19: A threat to lives and culture in Latin AmericaWhen the iconic indigenous Brazilian leader Paulinho Paiakan died from Covid-19 in June, aged sixty-six, the pandemic was already having a significant impact on Latin American native communities. Paiakan had been hospitalised in the northcentral Amazon state of Pará, which is among the most badly affected regions of Brazil. …5 min read5 min read
