Q&A AMLO Promised a New Approach to Mexico’s Security Crisis. Is He Delivering? The Editors Friday, Feb. 15, 2019 Murders in Mexico rose by 33 percent last year, shattering the previous record and underlining the challenge facing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who took office in December. In an interview, Eric Olson says Lopez Obrador’s security policies already look like “a sharp departure” from his campaign rhetoric.
China Note Under Pressure, Turkey Breaks Its Silence on China’s Mass Detention of Uighurs Benjamin Wilhelm Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2019 While the mass incarceration of Uighur Muslims in China’s Xinjiang autonomous region garners international condemnation, Muslim-majority countries have been largely silent. Last weekend, Turkey bucked that trend, calling the “torture and political brainwashing” of Uighurs “a great shame for humanity.”
Q&A In Bahrain’s ‘Facade Democracy,’ There Is No More Pretense of Political Openness The Editors Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2019 Bahraini soccer player Hakeem al-Araibi was released from jail this week in Thailand, after authorities in Bahrain dropped an extradition request related to his participation in anti-government protests. Dissidents inside Bahrain have not been as fortunate. Neil Quilliam discusses Bahrain’s crackdown on dissent.
Q&A As the Threat of ISIS Recedes, Iraq Looks to Its Neighbors to Spur a Recovery The Editors Monday, Feb. 11, 2019 Earlier this month, leaders from Iraq and Jordan signed a slew of agreements liberalizing trade and commercial ties—part of a recent intensification in Baghdad’s diplomatic outreach. In an interview, Randa Slim discusses Iraq’s foreign policy priorities as it recovers from its brutal war with ISIS.
Ahead of Major Elections, Asian Democracies Grapple With a Torrent of Fake News Elliot Waldman Monday, Feb. 11, 2019 Several of the largest democracies in Asia are set to hold national elections between now and late May. With their large, digitally connected populations and lax regulations around information technology and political marketing, these countries are the frontlines in the war against online disinformation.
Africa Watch Threatened By Rebels, Chad’s Deby Leans on Firepower from France Robbie Corey-Boulet Friday, Feb. 8, 2019 French warplanes carried out strikes against rebels who crossed into Chad from Libya this week, highlighting the international goodwill President Idriss Deby has accrued for his efforts to combat regional terrorism. Read up on that and other stories from across the continent in our weekly roundup of Africa news.
Q&A What a Fatal Fire at a Rehab Clinic Reveals About Ecuador’s Drug Policies The Editors Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019 Eighteen people were killed last month in a fire at a rehabilitation center in Guayaquil, Ecuador, that was operating illegally. Carla Alvarez discusses the problem of illegal rehab clinics in Ecuador and explains why the government should focus on preventing drug addiction instead of criminalizing it.
The Movement to Oust Togo’s Gnassingbe Dynasty Faces an Uncertain Year Robbie Corey-Boulet Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019 The Togolese opposition’s decision to boycott recent legislative elections seemed to play into the hands of the ruling party. As President Faure Gnassingbe, whose family has ruled for over five decades, maneuvers to strengthen his position, his challengers’ options appear to be shrinking.
China Note With Deadline Looming, U.S.-China Trade Deal Still Faces Major Hurdles Benjamin Wilhelm Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2019 American and Chinese officials held two days of high-level trade talks in Washington last week, just before the start of China’s week-long Lunar New Year holiday. Negotiators conveyed cautious optimism about a possible deal but stressed that much work remains to reach an agreement before the March 1 deadline.
Q&A Dam Collapse Reveals a Fatal Lack of Oversight in Brazil’s Mining Sector The Editors Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2019 The death toll continues to rise after a dam collapse and mudslide at a mine in Brazil last month, in what is being called the country’s worst environmental disaster. In an interview, Bruno Milanez discusses the political power of Brazil’s mining sector and the roots of the catastrophe.
Q&A Renewed Conflict in Western Myanmar Could Add to the Rohingya’s Woes The Editors Monday, Feb. 4, 2019 Intense fighting has returned to western Myanmar’s troubled Rakhine state, this time between the military and the Arakan Army, an armed ethnic group. David Scott Mathieson discusses the Arakan Army’s recent evolution and explains how the fighting in Rakhine could affect the repatriation of Rohingya refugees.
Q&A In Paraguay, Rapid Deforestation Is the Price of an Economic Boom The Editors Friday, Feb. 1, 2019 Paraguay’s opposition party recently proposed an alternative to mandatory military service for conscription-age youth: replanting trees in depleted forests. Joel Correia discusses how Paraguay’s high economic growth has been sustained by environmental destruction, especially the clearing of forests for agriculture.
