To the Point
Has Latin America Lost Its Way?
Although free trade and democracy were supposed to bring prosperity and stability to Latin America, four presidents have been forced out of office in the past two years. With alarming instability in Argentina and Venezuela are the latest symptoms of a region drifting toward chaos, there's fear that democracy could be replaced by a return to the volatile days of alternating populist regimes and military dictatorships. Has Latin American has lost its way? What's the role of the Bush Administration and what are the consequences for the United States? We examine the political and economic climate in Latin America with journalists, policy analysts, the former Venezuelan trade minister, and a former US ambassador to the region. Newsmaker: More Violence in the Gaza Strip As Israeli forces ended their siege of the Jenin Refugee Camp on the West Bank today, there was more violence in the Gaza Strip, an area that has recently been quiet. A suicide bomber blew himself up at an Israeli Army checkpoint, slightly wounding two soldiers. Joshua Hammer is Jerusalem bureau chief for Newsweek magazine. Reporter's Notebook: French Elections While rising crime is a main issue in this year's French presidential election, disinterest is reaching American proportions, with just 30% expected to turn out. One tradition that's probably not in danger is the post-election amnesty for traffic fines, a custom begun by Charles De Gaulle in 1965. Charles Fleming is covering the election for The Wall Street Journal.
By Warren Olney • • 1 min readAlthough free trade and democracy were supposed to bring prosperity and stability to Latin America, four presidents have been forced out of office in the past two years. With alarming instability in Argentina and Venezuela are the latest symptoms of a region drifting toward chaos, there's fear that democracy could be replaced by a return to the volatile days of alternating populist regimes and military dictatorships. Has Latin American has lost its way? What's the role of the Bush Administration and what are the consequences for the United States? We examine the political and economic climate in Latin America with journalists, policy analysts, the former Venezuelan trade minister, and a former US ambassador to the region.
More Violence in the Gaza Strip
As Israeli forces ended their siege of the Jenin Refugee Camp on the West Bank today, there was more violence in the Gaza Strip, an area that has recently been quiet. A suicide bomber blew himself up at an Israeli Army checkpoint, slightly wounding two soldiers. Joshua Hammer is Jerusalem bureau chief for Newsweek magazine.
French Elections
While rising crime is a main issue in this year's French presidential election, disinterest is reaching American proportions, with just 30% expected to turn out. One tradition that's probably not in danger is the post-election amnesty for traffic fines, a custom begun by Charles De Gaulle in 1965. Charles Fleming is covering the election for The Wall Street Journal.