Latin America ¡SinFiltro!

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Failed States, Ghost Economies & the Resilience Hustle, El Cafecito del 3/07

When development stalls and governance falters, hustle becomes survival — Latin America, sin filtro.
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EL CAFECITO, THE WEEK'S ESSENTIAL READS

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Failed States, Ghost Economies & the Resilience Hustle, El Cafecito del 3/07
When development stalls and governance falters, hustle becomes survival — Latin America, sin filtro.
Ecuador Captures its Most Wanted Narco, El Cafecito del 26/06
Waste pickers rise, Fito falls, and the hemisphere rumbles with resistance — Latin America, sin filtro.
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Nicolas Forsans
No Más Miedo? Political Violence Makes a Comeback, El Cafecito del 19/06
Colombia prays, Argentina militarises, and across the region, violence is making a political comeback.
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Nicolas Forsans
1
Sinking Ground and Rising Tensions, El Cafecito del 11/06
Political assassinations, narco wars, climate breakdown — and a social justice reckoning long overdue. Latin America, sin filtro.
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Nicolas Forsans
Ghost Votes and Crack Capybaras, El Cafecito del 28/05
Venezuela pretends to vote, TikTok guzzles Brazil’s water, and Costa Rica’s narcos get weird — Latin America, sin filtro
Authoritarian Drift, Ecological Collapse, and the Stories We Miss, El Cafecito del 22/05
Power grids fail, glaciers retreat, and narco-states rise — all while digital populists rewrite the rules of politics.
Mourning a Revolutionary, Mapping a Region in Flux, El Cafecito del 16/05
Crime kills growth, China buys influence, and the left loses a conscience.
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Nicolas Forsans
New Maps, Old Ghosts: Latin America’s Fight for Influence and Stability, El Cafecito del 10/05
Power Shifts and New Alliances in a Region Under Pressure
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Nicolas Forsans
Disappeared and Silenced: Latin America’s Human Rights Breakdown, El Cafecito del 30/04
From Havana to Houston, Latin America’s human rights crisis crosses borders — and history is repeating itself
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Nicolas Forsans
Divided Homelands: Francis, Trump, and the Future of the Region, El Cafecito del 23/04
From papal legacies to populist returns, this week's essential headlines in Latin America.
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Nicolas Forsans
Noboa’s Win, Boluarte’s Bling, and Trump’s Shadow, El Cafecito del 16/04
The hemisphere’s week in headlines — U.S. deportation scandals, the loss of giants, and the slow grind of change. ¡Sin Filtro!
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Nicolas Forsans
Walls, Wars and What’s Next for Latin America, El Cafecito del 10/04
The hemisphere’s week in headlines—migration walls, regional wars, and the slow grind of change, Sin Filtro.
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Nicolas Forsans

IN FOCUS

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Latin America’s FDI Freeze: Why Capital Is Looking Elsewhere
Investment is slowing, trust is eroding, and short-term deals aren't enough. The latest data reveal a region at risk of missing the FDI moment — unless…
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Nicolas Forsans
Latin America’s Gagged Voices: How the Free Press Became an Endangered Species
How authoritarianism, violence, and economic collapse are silencing the press
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Nicolas Forsans
Freshly re-elected in Ecuador, can Daniel Noboa govern a country in crisis?
Despite a surprisingly strong win, Ecuador’s young president faces a storm of violence, recession, and political fragmentation.
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Nicolas Forsans
3
Ecuador’s High-Stakes Presidential Election: Crime, Correísmo, and the Struggle for Stability
Noboa vs. González in a polarised runoff that will test Ecuador’s democracy, social contract, and ability to confront organised crime.
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Nicolas Forsans
Latin America Homicides Round Up 2024
Insights from InSight Crime’s Annual Round-up and Why Sustainable Economic Growth Could Hold the Key to Reducing Violence
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Nicolas Forsans
The Humanitarian Crisis in Catatumbo has sealed the fate of Gustavo Petro
In a country where the State has abandoned its territories for too long, Petro's 'total peace' was doomed to fail. By Prof. Nicolas Forsans
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Nicolas Forsans
In Venezuela, opposition leader María Corina Machado makes history
Demonstrating to the world her unwavering resolve, Machado sacrifices everything for her country and the freedom of her fellow citizens
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Nicolas Forsans
1
The Trump Effect: Ripples of Migration, Tariffs, and Tension Across Latin America
Mexico seems to be caving in to Trump's threats. Yet the U.S. should blame themselves for neglecting Latin America.
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Nicolas Forsans
Why is Latin America the World's Most Violent Region?
An apparently simple question, calling for complex answers. By Prof. Nicolas Forsans
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Nicolas Forsans
Understanding Argentina's Paradox from Prosperity to Under-development
A crash course on Argentina's political and economic history. Can Javier Milei shape Argentina's history for the better? By Prof. Nicolas Forsans
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Nicolas Forsans
States of Exception and Bukele’s 'Mano Dura' Approach to Tackling Crime
Spotlight on security issues in Latin America. By Prof Nicolas Forsans
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Nicolas Forsans
Poverty, Informality and Vulnerabilities in Latin America
New reports show a slight improvement in poverty rates. By Prof. Nicolas Forsans
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Nicolas Forsans

DECONSTRUCTING THE POSTCARD: CITIES OF LATIN AMERICA

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Latin America's Cities — Global Rankings, Local Realities
Why São Paulo, Mexico City, and Buenos Aires still punch below their weight in Oxford's Global Cities Index 2025.
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Nicolas Forsans
Necoclí: A Town Transformed by Migration
Exploring how migration flows, organised crime, and weak governance transformed this quaint Colombian coastal town
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Nicolas Forsans
Medellín: The Two Faces of Urban Transformation
Medellin, a model for the global south?
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Nicolas Forsans
2
Latin America ¡SinFiltro!
Latin America ¡SinFiltro!
The political, economic and social factors that shape economic and social progress in Latin America. And an extensive 📍country roundup in our weekly Cafecito newsletter. Accessible to all. 🌟 Subscribe and don't miss a post!

THE CONVERSATION: EXPLAINERS & ANALYSES

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Seven Countries in Latin America where Human Rights are Taking the Biggest Hit
Latin America is undergoing one of its most profound human rights crises in decades.
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Nicolas Forsans
Freshly re-elected in Ecuador, can Daniel Noboa govern a country in crisis?
Despite a surprisingly strong win, Ecuador’s young president faces a storm of violence, recession, and political fragmentation.
 • 
Nicolas Forsans
3
Argentina’s soaring poverty levels don’t seem to be hurting Milei – but the honeymoon won't last
Argentina's gamble with libertarianism generates unprecedented poverty levels.
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Nicolas Forsans
Cuba on the Brink: Economic Crisis, Energy Grid Failures, and Mass Exodus
Millions of Cubans endure power outages lasting up to 20 hours a day as essential services grind to a halt and money runs out. How did Cuba reach this…
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Nicolas Forsans
Mexico’s Ongoing Struggle with Inequality Despite Poverty Reduction Progress
Despite significant progress in poverty reduction, Mexico’s battle with economic inequality remains a major hurdle in achieving sustainable development.
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Nicolas Forsans
Por qué la victoria de Maduro en Venezuela no convence a casi nadie
Maduro había prometido ganar por cualquier medio necesario y eso es exactamente lo que parece haber hecho
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Nicolas Forsans
Maduro Declares Victory Amidst Allegations of Election Fraud – Venezuela's Political Crisis Deepens
A Stolen Election? Maduro’s Contested Victory Sparks New Political and Social Unrest in Venezuela
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Nicolas Forsans
Venezuela election: Maduro’s regime is crumbling, but he will not give up without a fight
Political repression, intimidation and suppression of votes characterise. Venezuela's elections are not 'free and fair'
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Nicolas Forsans
Bolivia: fake or real, the attempted coup exposes the country’s deep underlying turmoil
Latin America is no stranger to attempted coups, and Bolivia even more so. The country tops the global rankings with 23 attempted coups since 1950, 12…
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Nicolas Forsans
Maduro: objetivo, silenciar a la disidencia
Venezuela se ha convertido en un Estado profundamente corrupto, autoritario y criminal que reprime la disidencia
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Nicolas Forsans
How Haiti became a failed state
A weak regime. A humanitarian crisis. A state run by gangs. And no credible end in sight
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Nicolas Forsans
Ecuador: how this ‘island of peace’ in Latin America has become a hotbed of violence run by criminal gangs and drug cartels
Ecuador sits between Colombia and Peru, two of the world’s biggest producers of cocaine
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Nicolas Forsans

VENEZUELA ELECTIONS 2024

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In Venezuela, opposition leader María Corina Machado makes history
Demonstrating to the world her unwavering resolve, Machado sacrifices everything for her country and the freedom of her fellow citizens
 • 
Nicolas Forsans
1
Por qué la victoria de Maduro en Venezuela no convence a casi nadie
Maduro había prometido ganar por cualquier medio necesario y eso es exactamente lo que parece haber hecho
 • 
Nicolas Forsans
Maduro Declares Victory Amidst Allegations of Election Fraud – Venezuela's Political Crisis Deepens
A Stolen Election? Maduro’s Contested Victory Sparks New Political and Social Unrest in Venezuela
 • 
Nicolas Forsans
Venezuela election: Maduro’s regime is crumbling, but he will not give up without a fight
Political repression, intimidation and suppression of votes characterise. Venezuela's elections are not 'free and fair'
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Nicolas Forsans

COVID-19 LEGACY IN LATIN AMERICA

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The Experience of Street Vendors in Cali, Colombia during the Pandemic
As cities locked down, they lost their livelihood. Now they need is a new social contract that cements their participation in the region’s political and…
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Nicolas Forsans
In Brazil, a Contempt for Human Life
Bolsonaro’s response to the pandemic marked a public transition from valuing 'certain kinds of lives' as opposed to others, to a general contempt for…
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Nicolas Forsans
Time to Rethink the Social Contract?
The pandemic may provide a unique opportunity to finally move forward and promote a wealthier, more equal and more peaceful region.
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Nicolas Forsans
Migration during the Pandemic
Despite closed borders, intra-regional migration continued as millions of people found themselves fleeing their precarious home labour markets
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Nicolas Forsans
Organised Crime during the Pandemic
In Colombia, organised crime organisations made the case that not only is the State ineffective at protecting citizens, but also not needed.
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Nicolas Forsans
The Case for Framing COVID as a Social Problem
Covid was only framed in biomedical terms, in the same way housing for the working poor was framed in the 1880s as a sanitary problem. Yet, both are…
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Nicolas Forsans
Those Latin American Governments Forgot
Identifying and supporting vulnerable populations other than 'the poor' is much more challenging
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Nicolas Forsans
The Urban Poor and the Pandemic
Many poor households across Latin America can not afford to 'stay at home'
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Nicolas Forsans
The Cost of Deep-Rooted Inequalities
Building a more equal continent after the pandemic will take time and require significant shifts in policies
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Nicolas Forsans
Work during the Pandemic
Informal workers were most dramatically impacted while the rise in the gig economy is posing new challenges
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Nicolas Forsans
The Economic Impact of the Pandemic
The loss of employment has disproportionately impacted on vulnerable groups, women and less educated workers
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Nicolas Forsans
Introducing a New Series on the Legacy of the COVID-19 Pandemic across Latin America
The pandemic revealed the weakness of the region’s economies and the ineffectiveness (and incapacity) of national governments in softening its impact
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Nicolas Forsans

COLOMBIA

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Seven Countries in Latin America where Human Rights are Taking the Biggest Hit
Latin America is undergoing one of its most profound human rights crises in decades.
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Nicolas Forsans
Trump Flexes his Muscles and Colombia Backs down, El Cafecito del 27/01/2025
A diplomatic crisis and a trade war averted in the 11th hour
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Nicolas Forsans
The Humanitarian Crisis in Catatumbo has sealed the fate of Gustavo Petro
In a country where the State has abandoned its territories for too long, Petro's 'total peace' was doomed to fail. By Prof. Nicolas Forsans
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Nicolas Forsans
Freedom on the Subway, Abuse in the Cloud: Contrasting Stories of Liberation and Exploitation
Tales of Liberation and Exploitation in Two Hidden Worlds in Mexico and Colombia.
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Nicolas Forsans
Can Colombia Find Lasting Peace?
Eight years after the 2016 FARC peace accord, what are the chances of lasting peace in Colombia? The first in a three-part series.
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Nicolas Forsans
UK Reinstates Visas for Colombians Amid Surge in Asylum Claims, in El Cafecito #10 del 26/11/2024
Exploring the complex intersections of migration, policy, and global trends in Latin America. By Prof. Nicolas Forsans
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Nicolas Forsans
COP16 in Colombia, Environmental Crimes, Peru's Land Grab, and Cuba's Economic Crisis: El Cafecito #3 del 21/10/2024
Your weekend digest of Latin America's top reads this October, this week focusing on environmental challenges ahead of COP16 in Colombia, by Prof…
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Nicolas Forsans
Spotlight on Organised Crime in Colombia, Repression in Cuba and Venezuela: El Cafecito #2 del 17/10/2024
The pick of the week so far, with a focus on organised crime in Colombia and other politics and economic stories from across Latin America selected by…
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Nicolas Forsans
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