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.

Welcome back to El Cafecito, your weekly brew of Latin America’s most urgent and eye-opening stories — served strong and sin filtro.

This week, the region finds itself at a series of breaking points. AI is reshaping the grid and retail sector. Authoritarianism is tightening its grip from El Salvador to Argentina. Forests are burning at historic rates. And regional powers are repositioning in a world shaped by Trump’s tariffs and China’s ambitions. From explosive drones in Colombia to a narco-cat in Costa Rica, this edition captures a region in motion — and in distress. We’ve got deep dives on migration, climate chaos, organised crime, femicides, and the digital tactics driving populism.

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