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.

This week, we begin by honouring a figure who helped redefine leadership in the region: José “Pepe” Mujica. His death marks not just the end of an era but a moment to reflect on what has — and hasn’t — changed in Latin American politics. In his absence, we see a region battling old demons in new forms: organised crime choking development, a rightward electoral shift reshaping regional politics, and the ever-growing shadow of China challenging U.S. dominance across infrastructure, diplomacy, and trade.

Meanwhile, our lens stays fixed on stories of social justice — from AI resurrecting memory in Argentina and Peru, to the weaponisation of migration under Trump, and the structural inequities exposed by climate, corporate deforestation, and disappearing civic space. As always, we ask: who benefits, who resists, and what does solidarity look like in 2025?

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