Eleonora Alfaro, the mother of human rights lawyer Ruth López, speaks at a press conference following the arrest of her daughter by Salvadoran police in Santa Tecla, El Salvador, on May 19.
Eleonora Alfaro, the mother of human rights lawyer Ruth López, speaks at a press conference following the arrest of her daughter by Salvadoran police in Santa Tecla, El Salvador, on May 19.

Bukele Clamps Down on Dissent

In El Salvador, human rights violations extend beyond the country’s notorious prisons.

Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks during the opening ceremony of the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC Forum in Beijing on May 13.
Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks during the opening ceremony of the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC Forum in Beijing on May 13.

Latin American Economies Look to China as U.S. Slashes Aid

In Beijing this week, Colombia joined the Belt and Road Initiative, and Brazil notched key investment pledges.

A group of children sit in a newly opened shelter in the Meyotte neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on April 12, after people were forced to flee from another area due to gang violence.
A group of children sit in a newly opened shelter in the Meyotte neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on April 12, after people were forced to flee from another area due to gang violence.

Trump Targets Haitian Gangs

U.S. authorities slapped a terrorist designation on two groups as Haiti’s crisis deepens.

Argentine President Javier Milei and Economy Minister Luis Caputo walk after meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Buenos Aires on April 14.
Argentine President Javier Milei and Economy Minister Luis Caputo walk after meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Buenos Aires on April 14.

Milei’s Moment of Truth

Argentina’s economic overhaul passed a key test—and earned support from Trump.

Pope Francis smiles and waves with one outstretched hand, an out-of-focus crowd of people visible behind him. Francis wears his everyday white cassock and cap. A lens flare is visible over the shoulder of his raised arm.
Pope Francis smiles and waves with one outstretched hand, an out-of-focus crowd of people visible behind him. Francis wears his everyday white cassock and cap. A lens flare is visible over the shoulder of his raised arm.

The Latin American Pope

How Pope Francis’s Argentine roots shaped his geopolitics.

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa gives a thumbs-up to supporters from a balcony of the Carondelet Palace in Quito on April 15, two days after winning reelection.
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa gives a thumbs-up to supporters from a balcony of the Carondelet Palace in Quito on April 15, two days after winning reelection.

Ecuador’s Election Surprise

A wider-than-expected victory for incumbent Daniel Noboa keeps Ecuador in the pro-Trump camp

Honduran President Xiomara Castro hands a gavel to Colombian President Gustavo Petro during the ninth summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, seen in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on April 9.
Honduran President Xiomara Castro hands a gavel to Colombian President Gustavo Petro during the ninth summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, seen in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on April 9.

Latin American Leaders Gather in Honduras

Members of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States critiqued tariffs and strategized about the future of the United Nations.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva talks with Brazilian Vice President Geraldo Alckmin at Planalto Palace in Brasília on Jan. 29.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva talks with Brazilian Vice President Geraldo Alckmin at Planalto Palace in Brasília on Jan. 29.

What Trump’s Latest Tariffs Mean for Latin America

The region has avoided the worst-case scenario so far, but reciprocal duties will still hurt.

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva walks beside an honor guard of Japanese soldiers in dress uniform and standing at attention. One soldier holds a staff with a Japanese flag, and another folds the Brazilian flag.
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva walks beside an honor guard of Japanese soldiers in dress uniform and standing at attention. One soldier holds a staff with a Japanese flag, and another folds the Brazilian flag.

Brazil Pivots to Asia

Lula is doubling down on nonalignment and multilateralism during Trump’s second term.

Guards escort a newly admitted inmate deported from the United States to the Terrorist Confinement Center in Tecoluca, El Salvador, on March 16.
Guards escort a newly admitted inmate deported from the United States to the Terrorist Confinement Center in Tecoluca, El Salvador, on March 16.

Are Trump’s Deportations to El Salvador Just the Beginning?

Regional reactions are muted as countries pick their battles with Washington.

Migrants wait outside facilities run by Mexico’s Commission for Refugee Assistance in Naucalpan, Mexico, on Jan. 28.
Migrants wait outside facilities run by Mexico’s Commission for Refugee Assistance in Naucalpan, Mexico, on Jan. 28.

Migration Flows Shift South as Trump Hardens Border

Asylum applications in Mexico are up, and northbound crossings in Panama are down.

Suriname’s minister of foreign affairs, Albert Ramdin, speaks during a press conference in Paramaribo, Suriname, on Dec. 28, 2024.
Suriname’s minister of foreign affairs, Albert Ramdin, speaks during a press conference in Paramaribo, Suriname, on Dec. 28, 2024.

Can Latin America Find Consensus in the Age of Trump?

Amid tariffs and aid cuts, the region displayed rare unity at the OAS this week.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva speaks during a press conference on the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York City on Sept. 25, 2024.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva speaks during a press conference on the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York City on Sept. 25, 2024.

Latin America Recalibrates After Trump’s Pivot to Russia

Washington has long criticized the region for its relations with Moscow. Now what?

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro speaks during a Liberal Party seminar in Brasília on Feb. 20.
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro speaks during a Liberal Party seminar in Brasília on Feb. 20.

Bolsonaro Charged With Plotting Coup

The former Brazilian president, a Trump ally, could face years in prison over a scheme to overturn the country’s 2022 election.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro attends a ceremony in Bogotá on July 9, 2024.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro attends a ceremony in Bogotá on July 9, 2024.

Colombia’s Cabinet Implodes

The crisis is the latest setback for the Latin American left.

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