South America – DEMAGAGA

News

Habemus Papam – New Pope Francis I Declared in Rome

The Conclave has declared a new Pope, signaled by white smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel. Argentine Cardinal Jorge Maria Bergoglio chooses the regnal name Francis I as he assumes the papacy in Rome. The Argentinean has spent his entire ministry in Argentina and is known for his soft spoken, pastoral style. Francis I succeeds […]

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’s Inauguration Postponed

After more than 14 years in office in Venezuela, there is no doubt that Hugo Chavez transformed the country in profound ways – from improving access to education, increasing government welfare for the poor, to more political engagement by Venezuelans and increased funding for sports and cultural projects. The longest-running, democratically elected president in South America, Hugo Chavez’s firebrand mix of populism and […]

After a Two Month Detention in Ghana, Argentine Ship ARA Libertad Released

Originally held for Argentina’s refusal to pay sovereign debt obligations from a 2002 default, the ARA Libertad was released from its seabased prison in Ghana and returned home to fanfare and parades in a spectacle in the capital of Buenos Aires that embattled Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner called a ‘victory.’ Financial fund NML Capital obtained a ruling […]

Brazilian Scientists Genetically Modifying Mosquitoes in Effort to Eliminate Dengue Fever

Scientists in Brazil are genetically modifying mosquitoes in order to eliminate them in the wild. While extreme, it is hoped this method will contain dengue fever, a deadly disease that afflicts 22,000 of Brazilians annually. Especially hard hit are Brazil’s rural poor who have limited access to quality health care. [Los Angeles Times]

News

Eva Peron is the Face of the New 100 Peso Bill in Argentina

Famous former first lady of Argentina, Eva Peron, wife of Juan Peron, is the new face of the 100 peso bill. Affectionately known as Evita, Eva Peron’s life and political career are well known stories in Argentina and around the world. Whether a supporter or not, it is hard to deny her impact on the […]

News

The Return of Peronism in Argentina: Neo-Corporatism and Axel Kicillof

Limits on foreign currency exchange have led to the development of an underground market for dollars – such is the economic climate in Argentina today. Six months after tightening currency controls, it is not uncommon to find such ‘cash vendors’ in metropolitan areas like Buenos Aires, the capital, and, though illegal, it often is an […]

News

Argentina’s Shift Left: How President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner’s Flirtation with Socialism Hampers Prospects for Economic Growth

Argentina’s move to seize control of national oil giant YPF (Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales) has cheered domestic supporters of embattled Peronist President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, but the move has angered Argentina’s trans-Atlantic friends in Spain. What began as a business issue has now become a full-blown diplomatic incident. The proposed nationalization of YPF follows Kirchner’s previous […]