Briefings & Intelligence

Latin America has a compelling claim to be one of the big answers to the multiple questions facing humanity in the twenty-first century. We hope our LatAm Outlook 2023 paints an honest, insightful and enticing picture, and thereby makes this case persuasively to you.

Gustavo Petro has served as President of Colombia for 100 days. In Canning House's latest blog, Dr Gwen Burnyeat and Dr Andrei Gómez-Suárez give their view on his tenure so far, including his focus on "Total Peace" and environmental protection, and ahead to the challenges he can expect going forward.

Though concerns from parts of Brazilian society about potential unrest taking place during the country's 7th September Independence Day celebrations did not materialise, the run-up to the 2nd October presidential elections have not been devoid of political violence, with security risks likely to continue into the coming years - write Mário Braga and Rodrigo Russo.

On the evening of 1st September a man approached Vice-President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner (CFK) outside her home in Buenos Aires, pointing a loaded gun at her head at point-blank range and attempting to pull the trigger. In a context of deepening socio-economic hardship and concerns over governability, risks appear to be rising in Argentina - writes Jill Hedges.

Last week saw the anniversary of the birth of Bernardo O’Higgins. A revolutionary leader, he led the forces to secure independence from Spain, establishing the new Republic of Chile, creating a working governmental organisation and establishing peace and order, based on the principles of freedom and democracy. Principles which resonate today and which are at the heart of what is happening now in Chile - writes Fiona Clouder.

The seventh edition of the UK-Brazil Conversa, an event that brings together figures from UK and Brazilian politics, current affairs, academia, international relations, and the business community, to discuss the most pressing issues of the day in each country, as well as to find common ground and paths for further cooperation between the two countries, was held in June 2022 in Rio de Janeiro.