College Rankings Should Alarm Latin America

Few paid attention to a news item that should have raised eyebrows -- a new ranking of the world's best universities shows a near total absence of Latin American schools

Brazil Could Break the Mold in Anti-graft Battle

You have to give credit to Brazil for what it's doing to combat corruption and solve the worst political scandal in the country's recent history

Latin America's Challenge: The 'Boring Stuff'

We all know what conventional economists say about the future of Latin America: countries that pursue populist policies will go downhill, whereas countries that pursue 'responsible' economic policies will do great

Russia And Brazil to Clash in Men's Olympic Volleyball Final

Russia and Brazil will cross paths for the first time in an Olympic Final after they edged Bulgaria and Italy respectively in the semis played on Friday at Earls Court

Brazil's World-Class Volleyball Outclasses Italy -- Advance to Olympic Final

Brazil played a spectacular game to down Italy in straight sets (25-21, 25-12, and 25-21) in what turned into a demonstration of world-class volleyball, confidence and fighting spirit

Women's Volleyball Preview: USA vs Brazil Gold Medal Match

The 2012 Olympic Games women's volleyball gold-medal match has some striking similarities to the Beijing Games four years ago as the top two teams -- United States and Brazil -- meet once again

Brazil's Yane Marques Carrying a Dream of a Nation

When Yane Marques began modern pentathlon at the age of 19, she didn't have any running skills and had only seen fencing on TV. Nine years later, she is one of Brazil's Olympic medal hopefuls

Olympic Volleyball: U.S. Men Upset Brazil

The U.S. Olympic Men's Volleyball Team upset top-ranked Brazil 23-25, 27-25, 25-19, 25-17 in a battle of undefeated teams during an Olympic Games Pool B match

Brazil: Playing Foreign Policy Chess in Latin America

A spirit of 'what is good for the USA is also good for Brazil' once defined Brazil's approach to foreign policy. Yet now Brazil is more aware of its power and influence

The Winner of Mercosur's Expansion: Brazil

Conventional wisdom is that Venezuela was the big winner at the Mercosur summit when the country officially joined South America's trade bloc. But for me, the big winner was Brazil

BRICs Should Focus on their Own Problems

As the world struggles to deal with its two largest foreign-affairs dilemmas, Syria and Iran, resolutely standing in the way are the BRICs

Brazil and USA to Fight Once Again for Women's Volleyball Olympic Gold

In what will be a rematch of the 2008 Beijing Olympic finals, Team USA and Brazil will be fighting for gold after they dominated their respective semi-finals with Korea and Japan

Brazil Dominates Japan

The Brazilian Women's Volleyball team will try to prolong its supremacy by taking on Team USA in the Olympic final after downing Japan in straight sets in the semi-finals

Brazil's Women's Volleyball Coach: 'We Deserve This'

"We deserve this. Being given a chance of passing the semifinal, we now want gold. Now we play USA and we can do good things"

United States and Brazil Favorites to Battle for Olympic Volleyball Gold

Even before the United States and Brazil begin their quest for Olympic glory in volleyball, one of them is virtually assured of gold, though this time around the event has been robbed off some of its sheen as Cuba failed to qualify

Brazil Keeper Rafael Suffers Elbow Injury Out for Olympics

Brazil's hopes of winning its first Olympic gold medal have suffered a big blow as goalkeeper Rafael Cabral suffered a right elbow injury and was ruled out of the London Games

Russia Comes From Behind to Beat Brazil for Men's Volleyball Gold

After two and a half sets it looked like Brazil would cruise to their third Olympics title, but the Brazilians eventually missed out to Russia

Brazil Stuns USA for Women's Volleyball Gold

After losing the opening set to Team USA, 25-11, Brazil rallied to win the next 3 sets for a come-from-behind 3-1 win to win their second consecutive Olympic Gold Medal

Latin American Region Shares Blame for Paraguayan Crisis

Excuse my impertinence, but Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and several other Latin American countries deserve much of the blame for the recent forced exit of former Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo

Growing Military Presence Places One Brazilian Community at Risk

Residents of one Bahian quilombo clashed with members of Brazil's military. The inhabitants of Quilombo do Rio do Macaco drew media attention as officials from the Aratu Naval Base encroached on the community's fringes

Brazil's Juliana and Larissa Fight Back to Win Bronze in Women's Beach Volleyball

FIVB world champions Juliana and Larissa staged a second-set comeback to beat China's Chen Xue and Zhang Xi in the London 2012 Olympic Games bronze medal match

Alison Cerutti and Emanuel Rego Settle for Men's Beach Volleyball Silver

Germany's Julius Brink and Jonas Reckermann wasted three match points, but won gold with the fourth as they beat Brazil's Alison Cerutti and Emanuel Rego in a three-set thriller

Brazil, Italy, Russia and Bulgaria Advance to Men's Volleyball Semis

The much awaited quarterfinals of the men's Olympic tournament eventually ended in four straight-set victories for Brazil, Italy, Russia and Bulgaria

Brazil Downs United States in Exhibition Soccer Match

The United States national soccer team was brought down to earth as five-time world champion Brazil took advantage of the Americans sloppy play to score a 4-1 victory

Latin American Countries Raising Trade Barriers Despite Vows to 'Connect The Americas'

The rising trade barriers that Brazil is erecting to protect their industries imports are causing growing concern in the hemisphere

Bolivian President Bows to Pressure and Cancels Amazon Highway

Bolivian President Evo Morales announced that he would rescind the contract awarded to Brazilian company OAS to build a road through the Amazon rainforest

Latin American Schools: Disconnected

Two new studies confirm what we have long suspected: Latin American companies cannot effectively compete in the world economy because their countries' educational systems are totally disconnected from reality

Latin America Still Growing, But Economic Fiesta Is Over

A key United Nations think tank that has been very bullish about Latin America in recent years is sounding a little less optimistic about the region's economies for 2012

Latin America May Split into Pacific and Atlantic Blocs

President Obama's announcement that he will seek to create what may be the world's largest trading bloc along the Pacific rim raises an interesting question in this part of the world: whether we will see a de facto split of Latin America into a Pacific and Atlantic bloc

Brazil and Colombia: An Unexpected Alliance

Colombia, traditionally Washington's best ally in the region, is cozying up to Brazil and building a solid commercial, financial and political network with its neighbor while Washington becomes more and more isolated

Latin America is Beating Poverty -- Sort Of

A new United Nations report has good news for Latin America: it says that poverty levels in the region have dropped to their lowest levels in 20 years. But are the U.N. figures about Latin America as great as they sound?

Brazil's Really Big Problem

Prosperity, security, and a lowered level of poverty generally accompany economic growth; however, Brazil's economy, though growing rapidly, is experiencing record inflation and an appreciating currency. However, the practical consequences of a sudden currency appreciation can prove to be ominous, often contributing to greater economic insecurity

Latin America's Security Dilemma

Across Latin America, governments are hailing security gains against organized criminal groups. Yet in spite of more arrests, criminal networks are stronger and criminality just as pervasive, suggesting that another reality lies behind the numbers.

Brazil Joins Race for Globalized Students

Brazil's announcement that it will send 100,000 science and engineering students to get advanced degrees abroad went almost unnoticed, but it's worth paying attention to -- it's the kind of thing that will determine which countries will get ahead in the knowledge-based 21st century

Stiglitz Upbeat About China and Latin America

Joseph Stiglitz is quite upbeat about Latin America, Asia and other emerging economies when I interviewed him extensively about the possibility of a new world recession

United States Should Treat Brazil Like India

Diplomatic niceties aside, there are several issues that are raising bilateral tensions between Brazil and the United States

The Bitter Taste of Brazil's World Cup

With two years to go before the World Cup in Brazil, already people are questioning the massive evictions caused by the Cup's enormous infrastructure projects and the legal privileges that must be conceded to the all-powerful FIFA

Rethinking Latin America

Regionalists need a reminder that development doesn't end politics and that contemporary Latin America has its own power dynamics

A Call for an Enlightened Foreign Policy toward Latin America

With a little under a year remaining until the next U.S. presidential election, a coherent and sustainable area policy toward Latin America remains absent from the campaign literature and both parties' electoral strategies

Brazil's Truth and Reconciliation Commission

Brazil has been making great strides toward securing a prosperous future, but one of its recent actions has centered on resolving a troubling aspect of the country's past. On October 27, state officials announced a plan to establish a truth and reconciliation commission that will investigate crimes against humanity from 1946 to 1988

Condoleezza Rice Book Shows 'Inattention' to Latin America

Condoleezza Rice, whose boss President George W. Bush vowed during the 2000 campaign to make Latin America a 'fundamental commitment' of his presidency, devotes only two of the 58 chapters of her memoir 'No Higher Honor' to the region. That's about 15 pages of the 766-page book, plus a few sporadic references here and there

Chinese Investment Flows Continue to Aid Brazil's Ascendency

Brazil has been able to avoid a major setback from the global financial crisis, due largely to its burgeoning trade relationship with China

Brazil and IBSA: Blueprint for Future Cooperation?

IBSA, comprised of India, Brazil, and South Africa, has improved trade and cooperation among the countries since 2003 IBSA is notable for its South-South cooperation and anti-hegemonic rhetoric However it is not necessarily an easy model for other Southern nations

Brazil's Deforestation Quagmire

A string of recent events indicates that Amazonian deforestation and violence against environmental activists are on the rise

Making Room for Brazil's Growing Clout

With its growing economy -- now the world's eighth largest -- and vast resources, Brazil has become a major global power. Yet it still is not viewed as a 'global player with a global agenda'

Brazil Doing Better on Human Rights

There is a little-noticed but potentially important development in Latin America's human rights front -- Brazil, the biggest country in the region, is becoming a little less supportive of tyrants around the world

Latin - Asian Technological Gap Keeps Growing

Latin America should take a close look at the latest U.S. technological innovation figures: They show that, despite signs of progress in several countries, the gap between Asian and Latin American countries keeps widening

Pele: 'Messi Doesn't Match Up to Me in Soccer'

Brazilian soccer great Pele stated Argentine and Barcelona striker Lionel Messi is miles away to equaling his legendary feats

2012 Anything But Boring in the Americas

Every year brings about changes, but 2012 is likely to be an especially eventful one in the Americas: there will be elections in the United States, Mexico and Venezuela, as well as other news events that could change the political map

Latin Universities Index Doesn't Tell Full Story

A new ranking of Latin America's best universities shows that Brazil is way ahead of the pack, with the No. 1 school and 65 of the best 200 in the region. It suggests that Brazil may become 'the next university superpower'

Americas to Become Mecca of World's Energy

The turmoil for reform sweeping most Middle Eastern oil producers is grabbing big headlines today, but that region may lose some of its economic clout in the future: there are signs that the Americas will replace the Middle East as the world's biggest oil-producing region

Other Leaders Should Copy Brazil's Anti-graft Measures

I read a press report that Brazil's tourism minister was illegally using a government driver as his wife's private chauffeur. By the time I arrived in Brasilia seven hours later, the minister had already been sacked. What a difference with what is happening in many other Latin American countries

Fears Over Environmental Affects Prompt Court To Halt Mega-Dam Project

In what could give a blow to government's ambitious plan to boost national energy production, a Brazilian federal court ordered immediate halt of $11 billion Belo Monte hydroelectric dam's construction, saying it could affect local fishing

The Future of the Liberal World Order

There is no longer any question: wealth and power are moving from the North and the West to the East and the South, and the old order dominated by the United States and Europe is giving way to one increasingly shared with non-Western rising states. But if the great wheel of power is turning, what kind of global political order will emerge in the aftermath?

Power and Politics in an Autonomous Latin America

Across the region in recent years, the United States has seen its influence decline. Latin American countries are increasingly looking for solutions among themselves, forming their own regional organizations that exclude the United States and seeking friends and opportunities outside of Washington's orbit. Some allies are even reconsidering the primacy of relations with the United States

Obama's Trip May Lead to United States - Brazil Honeymoon

President Barack Obama's announcement that he will visit Brazil, Chile and El Salvador could result in an improvement in Brazil-U.S. ties following a significant downturn over the past two years.

South America Enters Middle East Quagmire

Following the recent decisions by Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Ecuador to officially recognize a state of Palestine, supporters of the Palestinian cause are preparing for their next big step: a South America-wide declaration recognizing a Palestinian state in a territory that would include East Jerusalem and other territories currently held by Israel

A New Global Player: Brazil's Far-Flung Agenda

In the last decade, Brazil has recast itself as a global brand and a global power. Brazil is home to the world's fifth-largest land mass and eighth-largest economy and is one of the top global producers of stuff everyone else needs. The new conventional wisdom suggests that Brazil is now poised to make its name on the global stage

Latin American Leaders Could Have Learned From South Korea

When the presidents of Brazil, Mexico and Argentina attended the G-20 meeting of the world's biggest economies in South Korea, they should have taken some time off from the conference to take a look at the host country. They could have learned why South Korea has done so much better than their own nations

The Difficulty of Integrating Rising Powers

A major strategic challenge for the United States in the coming decades will be integrating emerging powers into international institutions. The dramatic growth of Brazil, China, and India -- and the emergence of middle-tier economies such as Indonesia and Turkey -- is transforming the geopolitical landscape and testing the institutional foundations of the post-World War II world order

Education Too Important to Be Left in Government Hands

Brazilian business leaders have concluded that the answer to the region's education problems is not likely to come from governments -- or from politicians -- but from civil society. Digging deeper into the Brazilian pro-education movement, I found that Brazil's civil society has been more pro-active than that of other countries in the region

Brazil Needs Dose of Constructive Paranoia

There is a consensus among foreign policy pundits that Brazil is the upcoming world emerging power. Maybe so, but only if it can overcome a potentially fatal domestic obstacle -- hubris.

Commodity Exporters Need to Diversify

A new World Bank study is likely to raise high hopes in Brazil, Argentina, Peru and other South American commodity exporters. It says that, contrary to the recent conventional wisdom, raw materials can be the engine of long-term economic growth. But is it true? Or is it World Bank wishful thinking?

Brazil Diplomacy Needed Closer to Home

Brazil's self-proclaimed diplomatic victory in Iran led pundits to speculate that the South American country has become a major new player in world affairs. But they were most likely wrong, or at the very least spoke to soon.

Farideh Farhi on Shifts in Iran on Nuclear Policy

The agreement reached in which Iran would send about half of its low-enriched uranium to Turkey to be enriched signaled a new unity in the leadership in Tehran, says analyst Farideh Farhi. She says that while the regime continues to worry about its perceived legitimacy domestically, the agreement with Brazil and Turkey has strong public support

Brazilian President for U.N. Chief? Hopefully Not

A short news item in Brazil's news magazine Veja suggests that President Luiz In‡cio Lula da Silva is considering running for United Nations Secretary General after he leaves office at the end of this year. If true, that would explain a lot of things.

Hubris Behind Brazil's Ties With Iran

Brazil's key diplomatic support of Iran's increasingly isolated regime is baffling the international community. There are several theories about Brazil's behavior, some of them quite troubling.

Brazil Election to Offer Definite Contrast

With Brazil's government-backed presidential hopeful Dilma Roussef rising in the polls, some of her most prominent critics are raising the specter that South America's biggest country will move closer to the radical left if she wins the October elections

Latin America's Honeymoon With Obama May Be Over

Only a few months ago, Latin American leaders hailed the Obama administration as a new beginning in hemispheric relations. But now, the honeymoon is over as Brazil is leading criticism of U.S. foreign policy

Brazil, United States, OAS Flunked Honduras Test

Brazil, the United States and the Organization of American States deserve a gold medal each for their awful handling of recent presidential elections in Honduras. Let's examine how the main international players behaved ...

Latin America Foreign Investment Outlook Grim

A new United Nations report predicts a 40 percent drop in foreign investments in Latin America this year. I hope I'm wrong about this, but the fall in foreign funds may be even steeper.

Latin American Economy Will Do Well, but Not Great

The news that Brazil and Mexico have come out of the recession and are poised for solid growth in 2010 should be celebrated, and both countries' leaders should be given credit for their sound economic management. But in the global economic context, the two Latin American giants' recovery will be modest.

Brazil a Nuclear Power? Probably Not

Brazil's Vice President Jose Alencar made big headlines recently when he stated that Brazil should have the right to have nuclear weapons, which he said would give his country a greater 'dissuasive' power and more 'respectability' in world affairs.

Working Together, Brazil, Russia, China and India Increase Leverage

In 2003, a report authored by Goldman Sachs economists popularized the term BRICs -- Brazil, Russia, India and China -- to describe a whole new category of emerging-market powerhouse. The report argued that with sound political leadership and relative international stability, the BRIC economies would together outpace the original G6 industrialized nations in dollar terms by 2040 -- a fundamental shift in the global balance of power. Since then, these four countries have assumed ever-greater importance in the international investment community's collective imagination.

Growth With Equity: Brazil's Path to Economic Recovery

The financial crisis has left few corners of the global economy unscathed, but many of the loudest cries reflecting the deepest pain are largely ignored. These are the cries of the world's poorest citizens whose suffering is not measured in battered portfolios and retirement plans but in their daily survival

Brazil Deserves Criticism for Awful Foreign Policy

Brazil, Latin America's biggest country, has received well-deserved praise in recent years for its responsible economic policies. There is hardly a dictator -- or repressive government -- that Brazil doesn't like, human rights groups say.

Brazil Stretching Clout to Central America

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's largely unnoticed trip to Central America last week underscored an interesting phenomenon: Brazil is making big inroads into a region that was traditionally seen as Mexico's backyard

Brazil, China & India Can Mitigate Global Crisis

Brazil, India and even China will not be able, by themselves, to correct the dysfunctions that produced the global crisis. But it is true that the economic power of these three countries can mitigate its negative consequences. ...