A man takes photos of the exposed riverbed of the Old Parana River

Most international coverage of Panama’s drought focuses on shipping delays through the Panama Canal. Locals are more worried about its impact on potable water. More worrying is the fact that Panama is not the only Latin American country currently facing water scarcity. To the contrary, the entire region is in the grips of a dry spell.

Soldiers gather debris in the aftermath of Hurricane Otis, in Acapulco, Mexico.

Nobody can blame Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador for how quickly Tropical Storm Otis grew into the hurricane that devastated Acapulco on Oct. 25. But AMLO’s failure in responding to the aftermath of Hurricane Otis’ landfall is the logical culmination of key policies that define his term in office.