Q & A Archive

Last month, Honduras deployed soldiers and police to the province of Colón to quell a series of deadly clashes over land disputes. In an email interview, Orlando J. Pérez, a professor of political science at Central Michigan University, discussed Honduras’ land disputes. WPR: What is the historical background of land ownership and land disputes in Honduras? Orlando J. Pérez: Conflicts over land are common in Honduras, with increased conflict since 2008. Land disputes are a symptom of the broader political, social and economic crises facing Honduras. They reflect the highly unequal nature of the country’s economy and represent yet more […]

In his WPR column yesterday, Robert Farley discussed Israel’s strategic options in light of damaged and possibly doomed ties with Turkey and Egypt. But it’s worth noting that an Israel in conflict with two of the United States’ closest regional allies also has significant impact on the United States’ strategic calculus in the Middle East. When two friends get into a dispute that not only resists resolution but actually deepens, one eventually begins to feel pressure to move from trying to mediate to choosing sides. And given the realities of U.S. domestic politics, it’s only a matter of time before […]

Former Guatemalan Army Gen. Otto Perez Molina has emerged as the victor in the first round of the country’s presidential election. He will now go into a November runoff election against business leader and populist Manuel Baldizon, who won 23 percent of the vote Sunday. But the fact that Perez carried 36 percent in the initial round may be a better indicator than any of how eager Guatemalan voters are to begin using the military to combat rampant drug crime in the country. “The No. 1 concern in public opinion going into this election is the security situation,” says Cynthia […]

China and Nepal recently moved to boost bilateral ties following a visit by high-ranking Chinese Communist Party officials. In an email interview, Abanti Bhattacharya, an associate professor in the department of East Asian studies at the University of Delhi, discussed China-Nepal relations. WPR: What is the recent history of China-Nepal relations? Abanti Bhattacharya: China-Nepal relations experienced a major transformation in March 2006, when China began to urge the Nepali king to reach out to opposition parties to restore peace, indicating China no longer viewed Nepal’s political crisis as an internal affair. With the victory of the Unified Communist Party of […]

The slow-burning war pitting militarized Kurdish groups in Iraq against the governments of Turkey and Iran has escalated since mid-August. Most notably, Turkish fighter jets have flown multiple bombing runs on bases of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). The Turkish bombing campaign, occurring inside northern Iraq, is reportedly being conducted in retaliation for a series of PKK attacks that have left more than two dozen Turkish soldiers dead since the beginning of the summer. Meanwhile, a PKK offshoot known as the Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan (PJAK) is engaged in ongoing clashes with Iranian forces, with Iranian officials […]

One thing I’d like add to my remarks from last Friday’s The World This Week program on France 24 has to do with the question, at the end of Part I, about the impact of Sept. 11 on America’s relationship to the world. To begin with, I usually find that particular discussion a bit reductionist. On one level, America’s collective reaction to Sept. 11 included a large dose of distrust and suspicion of a world that suddenly seemed very hostile and threatening. But on another level, I often find the portrayal of the barriers between America and the world to […]

In thinking about the ways in which Sept. 11 and our responses to it changed America and the world, it’s important to remember that some of its impact, and perhaps the most historically significant aspects of that impact, may not have entirely emerged yet. In August 1945, for instance, while the advent of radar, jet technology and nuclear weapons were plainly evident, it would have been close to impossible to foresee the way in which the war effort, both domestically and in theater, would go on to inform the black civil rights movement and women’s liberation movement 20-25 years later. […]

A recent uptick in attacks on Colombia’s energy infrastructure, along with a 25 percent increase in kidnappings, has prompted speculation about whether major security gains made in the country over the past decade may be deteriorating. While the current spate of violence pales in comparison to the bloodshed that burdened Colombia through the 1990s and early 2000s, according to Michael Shifter, who heads the Inter-American Dialogue in Washington, the recent attacks could create serious political challenges for Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos. Shifter reminded Trend Lines on Thursday that upon succeeding Álvaro Uribe as president of Colombia last year, Santos […]

Mozambique recently offered Brazilian farmers 15 million acres of farmland at a symbolic price to be used for the production of soy, corn and cotton. In an email interview, Adriana de Queiroz, an executive coordinator at the Brazilian Center for International Relations (CEBRI) who writes in a personal capacity, discussed Brazil-Africa relations. WPR: What are the main countries and sectors for Brazilian investment in Africa? Adriana De Queiroz: Brazilian companies have been investing mainly in mining, infrastructure and oil and gas in Africa. A significant proportion of this investment has been in Portuguese-speaking countries, such as Angola and Mozambique. Brazilian […]

With Moammar Gadhafi now ousted, Libya’s National Transitional Council (NTC) is scrambling to restore order to Tripoli. It remains to be seen whether international peacekeepers will be needed during the months ahead to ensure a peaceful transition toward a sustainable post-revolution society. An Iraq-style security meltdown seems, at the moment, improbable. However, should it occur, the question of who from the international community might best be suited to intervene is likely to prove problematic, says Jane Kinninmont, a senior research fellow with the Middle East and North Africa Program at Chatham House in London. While NTC leaders and opposition rebels […]

Iran’s offer this week to allow International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors “full supervision” of its nuclear activities appeared, initially at least, to represent a softening of what for the past two years has been the country’s obstructionist posture toward the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog agency. However, according to James M. Acton, a senior associate with the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the offer was actually made as part of a strategy designed to prevent the IAEA from issuing a resolution condemning Iran’s failure to address questions about potentially militarized aspects of its nuclear program. “The fundamental […]

Last month, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak embarked on a tour of Mongolia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, resulting in the signing of a number of trade deals. In an email interview, Matteo Fumagalli, head of the department of international relations and European studies at the Central European University, discussed South Korea-Central Asia Relations. WPR: What is the extent of South Korea’s diplomatic and trade relations with Central Asia? Matteo Fumagalli: Unlike his predecessors, who did not place a high priority on Central Asia, President Lee Myung-bak has paid considerable attention to the region. In 2009 Lee launched a new Asia Initiative, […]

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper toured Latin America last month, stopping in Brazil, Colombia and Honduras. In an email interview, James Rochlin, a professor of political science at the University of British Colombia, discussed Canada-Latin America relations. WPR: What is the recent history of Canada’s diplomatic relations with Latin America (excluding Mexico)? James Rochlin: Canada began to look seriously at Latin America during the 1970s with Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau’s “Third Option” policy, an attempt to diversify trade away from the United States when the United States first appeared to be facing a relative global decline. Canada joined the Organization […]