Briefings & Intelligence

Lighting the fuse on Venezuelan powder keg

Henrique Capriles Radonski, the governor of the Venezuelan state of Miranda and figurehead of the moderate opposition, called for street protests this week against the government of President Nicolás Maduro. While Capriles stressed that he was not calling violent political demonstra- tions, it risks comparison with the protests organised last February by Leopoldo López, which landed him in jail. At the time Capriles distanced himself from López saying that the timing of his protests was wrong and would not win the hearts and minds of Venezuelans. He now appears to have calculated that they could be won through their stomachs. Acute shortages of food and other basic products have led to vast queues forming outside supermarkets in Caracas and cities in other states.

Cigars and mojitos - opening up US-Cuba trade

Tough start to second term for Brazil's Rousseff

While a presidential inauguration is perhaps not a time for self-criticism, Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff’s speech on starting a second term in office was notable for its hubris. “We have already accomplished the impos- sible,” she said. “Only miracles are yet to come.” After 12 years of the left-wing Partido dos Trabalhadores(PT) in power it was unsurprising that the crowd that attended the event was much smaller than for previous inau- gurations. But the fact no opposition leader showed up is indicative of the poisonous political atmosphere at the start of Rousseff’s second term. Growth is weak, inflation high and the political implications of the massive corruption scandal at the state oil giant Petrobras have only just begun.

Obama sets bold new course on Cuba

Peru presides overc limate change deal

Summit season exposes challenges for Latin America