Americas
List of Americas articles
Is It Too Late to Replace a Presidential Candidate?
Not according to other democracies around the world.
How the World Is Reacting to the U.S. Presidential Debate
Biden’s subpar performance is making many of Washington’s allies nervous.
Yes, Biden Flopped. But Let’s Not Overreact.
The United States is in a very bad place. Just not as bad as people think.
Why This Venezuelan Election Feels Different
The opposition holds a decisive lead in polling—and there’s a real possibility Maduro could leave power.
How Bad Will Political Violence in the U.S. Get?
Civil war is unlikely, but other alarming scenarios are quite possible.
Key Foreign-Policy Moments From the Trump-Biden Debate
The two candidates clashed over Russia’s war in Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas war, immigration, and America’s global image.
Washington Wants a White Gold Rush
The Biden administration looks to domestic lithium mining to boost U.S. energy security and counter China.
Biden and Trump’s Debate Could Make Foreign-Policy History
International affairs have rarely been featured in presidential debates—but this week’s showdown could be an exception.
Africa’s Critical Mineral Race Heats Up
Competing railway corridors pit the United States against China; Kenya faces a violent crackdown on tax protests.
Trump’s Return Would Transform Europe
Without Washington’s embrace, the continent could revert to an anarchic and illiberal past.
A New Era of Financial Warfare Has Begun
The West’s latest actions against Russia carry risks for the global system and could provoke China.
The U.S. Right Is Copying Hungary’s Attack on Adoption
So-called pro-family laws are attempts at annihilating LGBTQ+ people.
Relieve Debt to Protect the Environment
Debt-for-nature swaps on a grand scale could slow climate change and promote economic growth in the Global South.
Elections Could Reshape U.S.-Iran Dynamic
Voters in Iran are focused on restrictive Western sanctions as both countries head to the polls this year.
Western Protectionism Needs an End Date
Reliance on tariffs to shield against superior Chinese products is a trap.
Against China, the United States Must Play to Win
Washington’s competition with Beijing should not be about managing threats—but weakening and ultimately defeating the Chinese Communist Party regime.
Loneliness Is a National Security Crisis
Internet scams target vulnerable people with powerful access.
The Case Against Chiquita
A U.S. court holds the fruit company accountable for death-squad murders in Colombia.
Why Latin Americans Are Losing Trust in the News
Political polarization and funding cuts have hammered public faith in the media.
What the United States Can Learn From China
Amid China’s rise, Americans should ask what Beijing is doing right—and what they’re doing wrong.
Capitalism Is Broken. Here’s How to Fix It.
Investor Ruchir Sharma argues Washington needs to get out of the way.
Haiti’s Transitional Council Has a Blind Spot
Haitian women are on the front lines of the country’s crisis, yet they are being denied a seat at the table.
There’s No Dodge Button for Disinformation
The United States is trying to use video games to counter propaganda.
The Paranoid Movies That Captured Post-Watergate America
The proverbial tinfoil hat was once the purview of counterculture hippies.
The Hidden Critique of U.S. Foreign Policy in ‘Red Dawn’
Forty years ago, Hollywood released a hit movie with a surprisingly subversive message.
How the West Embraced Cambodia’s New Prime Minister
Hun Manet may appear more friendly and even-keeled than his father, but political repression continues apace.
Why Is Russia’s Economy Still Growing?
Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine have had limited impact.
Why Biden’s Gaza Gambit Is Likely to Fail
The U.S. president wants a truce more than Israel and Hamas do.
How to Solve the World’s Refugee Crisis
UNHCR’s Filippo Grandi on Sudan, Gaza, Ukraine, and more.
Dengue Surge Grips Latin America
Lessons from COVID-19 are shaping the region’s response to a record outbreak.
Biden and the G-7 Seek to Reassure Ukraine
A new security agreement and $50 billion funding deal signal that the West remains united in Kyiv’s defense—but how long will it last?
The Taiwan Aid Bill Won’t Fix the Arms Backlog
To help Taipei, Washington needs to get smarter about weapons transfers.
U.S. Military Planes Are in Haiti. Haitians Don’t Know Why.
Haitians have been told too little about the international security mission set to deploy on their soil.
Morality Is the Enemy of Peace
The conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine can only end with deals that don’t satisfy anyone completely.
Trump’s Case Is the Exception, Not the Rule
White-collar crimes are prosecuted at much lower rates than many other crimes in the United States.
Modi’s Taiwan Ties Have Rattled China
India’s overtures to the island have coincided with a breakdown in its relationship with Beijing.
Don’t Bet Against the Dollar
U.S. competitors are pushing the limits of autonomy within a dollar-based system, but there isn’t a real global alternative—and the world is far from an inflection point.
How Washington Missed the Boat on AI Regulation
The U.S. Congress missed an opportunity. Instead, it published a road map that fails to address the key challenges posed by new technologies.
The British Countryside’s Forgotten History of Slavery
Britons tend to downplay the empire’s slave-trading history. But its links to Virginia tobacco are all over the landscape.
Are We Really Toiling in Amazon’s Fields?
A critique of “technofeudalism” loses the plot.
The Economics of the Normandy Invasion
How industrial power and innovation helped turn the war.
The End of American Exceptionalism in the High North
After years of inattention, the United States is playing catch-up where it once held significant sway.
Claudia Sheinbaum Wins Landslide Victory
Mexico’s next president will command an even bigger congressional majority than AMLO. How will she use it?
Americans Don’t Want a Wartime President
If Biden can avoid the temptation to be a warrior defending allies abroad, he might have a better chance at winning his battles at home.
What the West Can Learn From Singapore
Data shows that in key areas, Singapore is better at governing than the U.S. and Britain.
Biden’s Foreign-Policy Problem Is Incompetence
The U.S. military’s collapsed pier in Gaza is symbolic of a much bigger issue.
The U.S. Needs a New Purpose in the Middle East
It’s time to ditch both romantic ideals of remaking the region and the policy of retrenchment.
The Problem With Invoking the ‘Third World’ Slur
The Trump verdict is the latest prompt for deploying a meaningless comparison. All that does is reflect poorly on the United States.
The South China Sea Risks a Military Crisis
The Philippine president drew a red line this week, but mutual restraint from Manila and Beijing can calm tensions.
Trump’s Conviction Could Help End Elite Impunity
An assault on democracy demands a wider legal and political response.
The World Reacts to Trump’s Guilty Verdict
Chinese and Russian state media mirrored Trump’s talking points on the trial.
A Nation of Alternative Realities
Trump’s felony conviction shows that no man is above the law, but it also deepens the United States’ war with itself.
Caribbean Summit Showcases the Power of Island Politics
Vulnerable nations continue to punch above their weight in global debates on climate finance and justice.
Why Mexico’s Election Matters
A vote for continuity could see further erosion of democratic institutions—with consequences for the rest of the world.
Why Diego Garcia Matters
A dispute over a tiny island in the Indian Ocean presents complications for U.S. goals in the Indo-Pacific.
Biden’s New Tariffs Should Raise Alarm Bells in Beijing
In the fight for economic dominance, Washington is playing the long game.
The U.S. Tries Its Hand at Cricket
As the country co-hosts its first World Cup, the South Asian diaspora is already giving the sport a boost.
Mexico’s Historic Elections, Explained
The country is all but guaranteed its first woman president.
The U.S.-Saudi Agreement Is a Fool’s Errand
For the sake of the international order, Biden must abandon his proposed deal with Riyadh.
Mexico’s Next Leader Has an Energy Problem
The country cannot expand and modernize its infrastructure under the primacy of two state companies.
How to Respond to China’s Tactics in the South China Sea
Beijing is testing the U.S.-Philippines alliance, and a new strategy is needed.
The Philippines Needs Butter, Not Just Guns
To counter China, Washington must help its ally address economic issues.
Where Canada’s Weed Legalization Went Wrong
A new government report faults Ottawa with prioritizing big business over public health.
Are U.S.-China Talks Accomplishing Anything?
Meetings on climate and AI show some progress, but tech competition still dominates the relationship.
The End of Left Versus Right
Fareed Zakaria on the scrambling of our political spectrums—and how that’s a sign of a broader revolution afoot.
Campus Protests Reflect Impatience With U.S. Foreign Policy
The Biden administration’s disavowal of students’ concerns will only make things worse.
Democracies Aren’t the Peacemakers Anymore
How Washington can reclaim its diplomatic primacy in an authoritarian age.
When Knowledge Stops at the Water’s Edge
Fears about foreign contacts and security clearances are making America’s future diplomats and policymakers less worldly and more insular.
How Fates Diverged in Hispaniola
As the Dominican Republic basks in post-election optimism, Haiti readies for a foreign security intervention.
Kenya and the U.S. Need Each Other More Than Ever
Closer ties to emerging economies are an insurance policy for Washington against geopolitical shocks.
Cities Are the Canaries in the Public Health Coal Mine
Preparing for the next pandemic starts in their streets and sewers.
Consulting Firms Have Stumbled Into a Geopolitical Minefield
The era of free-flowing information is over.
The U.S. Still Has a Lend-Leash Act for Ukraine
Washington is finding ways to get Kyiv more money—but keeps it hamstrung from actually fighting the war.
The Pentagon Isn’t Buying Enough Ammo
Munitions procurements are woefully insufficient for modern war.
When Will Washington Get Serious About Taiwan?
Its long-standing attitude toward the island is based on a set of military and political foundations that no longer exist.
How Foreign Policy Shapes Music Around the World
From the United States to Ukraine, music has influenced—and been influenced by—international politics.
The True Horseman of the ‘Fallout’ Apocalypse
Amazon’s adaptation of the video game knows what Americans should really be afraid of.
The Man Who Would Help Trump Upend the Global Economy
As a potential U.S. Treasury secretary, Robert Lighthizer has more than trade policy to revolutionize.
Rift or Rupture?
What the war in Gaza is doing to U.S.-Israeli relations.
How the Beyoncé Bump Affected Sweden
In some markets, the megastar creates her own economic climate system.
What Biden’s New China Tariffs Mean for World Trade
“We are very concerned,” says WTO chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
The U.S. Navy Can’t Build Ships
Decades of deindustrialization and downsizing have left America without shipyards to build and maintain a fleet.
What Madam President Means for Mexico
The country’s top two candidates are women, but feminists aren’t declaring victory yet.
Chinese Companies Keep Buying U.S. Land Near Military Bases
National security experts warn that some of those purchases are too close for comfort.
The U.S. Should Stop Playing the Victim Over China Trade
Washington can accept reality and shift strategies.
‘We Are Allied, but We Are Not Aligned’
Josep Borrell, Europe’s outgoing foreign-policy chief, on the U.S., China, Ukraine, and Gaza.
U.S. Intelligence Is Facing a Crisis of Legitimacy
Bad-faith attacks are putting U.S. security in danger.
The Woman Inheriting AMLO’s Revolution
Claudia Sheinbaum’s most daunting political challenge will be persona, not policy.
The United States Has a Keen Demographic Edge
Competitors of the United States face plunging birthrates and social gloom.
Peru Learns to Read the Fine Print in China Deals
A mistaken provision has given Beijing control of a key port.
China and the U.S. Are Numb to the Real Risk of War
The pair are dangerously close to the edge of nuclear war over Taiwan—again.
‘Fat Leonard’ Was a Crook U.S. Admirals Called Bro
In the Navy, you can do as you please.
What’s Ailing Tesla?
More people are buying electric cars, just not from Elon Musk.
Panama Picks a New President
José Raúl Mulino faces an uphill climb out of an economic and political slump.
Are Campus Protesters Heroes or Hypocrites?
As universities take center stage in the debate over Israel’s war in Gaza, the unrest could spell trouble for Biden’s reelection campaign.
What Does America Want in Ukraine?
Washington’s current approach is a strategic cop-out—and risks making another forever war.
Uncle Sam Wants You to Join the Mining Industry
A major talent squeeze is complicating Washington’s critical mineral ambitions.
Lula Doesn’t Understand Today’s Brazil
How the Brazilian left has become a victim of its own success.
Washington Takes Its Cyber Strategy Global
The Biden administration lays out its plan to build a global dream team of technology defenders.