Andres Oppenheimer
Every year brings about changes, but 2012 is likely to be an especially eventful one in the Americas: there will be elections in
Consider some of the things that will happen in the coming year:
- The
But because
- The
Street crime is at record highs, economic growth is one of
Some polls show that Chávez may lose the 2012 election, but he may win thanks to a combination of massive government handouts, tighter press censorship and voter intimidation, if not outright fraud.
- The
If the U.S. economy worsens in coming months, Republicans could return to the
So far, however, it looks like Obama will win. The economy is recovering, although at a snail's pace, and his Republican rivals are destroying one another in a fierce primary campaign. Perhaps more importantly, Republican hopefuls have adopted such extremist anti-immigration stands in their quest to win right-wing votes in the primaries, that most of them are highly unlikely to win the 40 percent of the Hispanic vote that pollsters say any Republican candidate would need to win the presidency.
- The
Obama will be at the height of his re-election campaign effort to capture a huge majority of U.S. Hispanic vote. In addition, he will need to respond to the recent creation of the Community of Latin American and
Obama will have to come up with bold proposals to regain U.S. diplomatic clout in the region, and is likely to make headlines at the summit.
- The
My opinion: Of course, there will be several other big news events -- including Pope Benedict XVI planned visit to
Obama recently proclaimed that
In short, 2012 promises to be anything but boring.
- American Border Law Enforcement Uses More Military Equipment
- 2012 Anything But Boring in the Americas
- Latin America Still Growing, But Economic Fiesta Is Over
- Latin America May Split into Pacific and Atlantic Blocs
- Cuba Asking Advice from IMF? Don't Laugh
- Mexico's Drug Cartels are no 'Terrorist Insurgency'
- Canada and The Kyoto Protocol: Who Says Quitters Never Win?
- Democratic Speed Bumps in Latin America
- Argentina: Lessons of Default
- Latin America is Beating Poverty -- Sort Of
- Brazil and Colombia: An Unexpected Alliance
- China and the End of the Monroe Doctrine
- Major Economies Headed for Slowdown
- Is the National Security Complex Too Big to Fail?
- A Call for an Enlightened Foreign Policy toward Latin America
- The Inequality Behind Chile's Prosperity
- The Mexican Drug Cartel Threat in Central America
- FARC Leader Killed in Colombia
- Helping Cuban Reforms through Agricultural Trade
- A 'Major Win' for Panamanian Corruption
- Mexico Seeks to Extradite Americans Linked to 'Operation Fast And Furious'
- Latin American Politicians Renew Suggestions to Legalize Drugs
- Never-Ending Drug War Moves to Central America
- Venezuela Among World Leaders in Red Tape
- OAS Makes Bad 'Error' in Nicaragua
- Condoleezza Rice Book Shows 'Inattention' to Latin America
- Anonymous vs. Zetas Amid Mexico's Cartel Violence
- Child Poverty and Access to Education: Hidden Costs on the Hispanic Community
- Rafael Correa Remains the Strongest Leader in Ecuador, but his Influence is Waning
- Brazil's Truth and Reconciliation Commission
- Panamanian Corruption Spreads to Land Holdings and Prominent Politicians
- Cuban Economic Reform Allows Private Home Sales
- Cuba's Communist Party Condemns U.S. Immigration Policy
- Submarine Near Venezuela Prompts Accusations Against United States
Copyright © 2012 The Miami Herald Distributed by Tribune Media Services