In Memoriam: Eduardo Galeano
“Now I feel more than ever proud of having been born in America, in this shit, in this marvel”: an insight into the works and legacy of Eduardo Galeano. “¡Un clasico!”, I glanced over to see an elderly... Read Article
Hugo Chavez
Radical Cities: Across Latin America in Search of a New Architecture by Justin McGuirk
The history of urban housing schemes in Latin America is wrought with failure. Informal communities on the edge of the urban fabric tend to either be ignored or actively destroyed, as was the policy during the Argentinian ‘Dirty... Read Article
S&C Podcast: Venezuela Special
In March this year I went to Venezuela in the wake of ex-President Hugo Chavez’s passing. While there I interviewed various musicians and got a feeling for what was happening in the country. It was a frustrating experience... Read Article
In Memoriam: A Hugo Chavez Playlist
Unless you’ve been living in a cupboard for the past week you will be well aware that Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez passed away on Tuesday March 5th. Over the past 14 years Chavez, and his United Socialist Party... Read Article
Indigenous Movements: Upcoming Challenges for Re-elected Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa
A green wave invaded the streets of Quito, the Ecuadorian capital, on Sunday, February 17th. Thousands of people, with Alianza País’ green flags in their hands, gathered in front of the Carondelet presidential palace, in the Plaza de... Read Article
Venezuela’s Oil Refinery Blaze: Seven Good Reasons to Suspect Sabotage
“You can’t exclude any hypothesis… It’s practically impossible that here in an [oil] installation like this which is fully automated everywhere and that has thousands of responsible workers night and day, civilian and military, and that there is... Read Article
The New El Dorado or a Commodity Bubble
Hal Weitzman’s Latin Lessons – How South America Stopped Listening to the United States and Started Prospering is a sane, measured and humorous take on a serial underperformer. Or is it? It isn’t immediately clear whether South America... Read Article
Who Killed Simon Bolivar??
Take one international hero. The liberator of a continent. A man venerated to the point of deity. Add one populist leader of the people. Add a dash of paranoia, a sprinkle of delusion of grandeur. And cook together... Read Article
Ollanta Humala’s Path to Peruvian President
In 2000, Ollanta Humala led an unsuccessful military rebellion against Peru’s then-President Alberto Fujimori. Six years later, the left-wing nationalist entered the political realm, losing to Alan Garcia in the presidential runoff.
Caution, Left Turn Only: Peruvian Elections
I once heard a Sociologist at UC Berkeley say that the left is always the right way. Latin America seems to be taking this seriously. The tendency to go left has become obvious in the choices the Latin... Read Article
Hermano – a review of the slums
Stephanie Kennedy, Sounds and Colours Venezuelan correspondent, takes a close look at life in Caracas’ slums, reacting to both the consequences of recent bad weather, and the release of Hermano, a new feature film set in the area.... Read Article
Venezuelan comic books find their place on the web
The comic in Venezuela is one of the genres that is generally underrated and ironically, treasured within the country’s culture. The artists who associate themselves with the expression of the comic and its way of illustrating ideas quickly... Read Article