Friday Reading List - 7 February 2025

Dictators are cheering the USAID shutdown.

Feb 07, 2025

Good morning.

This week’s newsletters

WPR - U.S.-Latin America Policy Just Saw an Unprecedented Week of Chaos
Monday - How long will the 2025 North American Trade War last?
Tuesday - A framework for how Latin American leaders respond
Wednesday - Polling notes: Lula leads Brazil 2026 campaign; Arce at 1% approval in Bolivia
Thursday - Six stories - Comments on Argentina’s currency controls, Pemex and more.

Thanks to everyone who subscribes and reads. Paying subscribers get more analysis including the full text of the Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday links above. Please consider paying for a subscription if you read regularly and work for an organization that benefits from the information I publish.

Reading List

NYT - Samantha Power: Killing U.S.A.I.D. Is a Win for Autocrats Everywhere

AP - Trump’s foreign aid freeze could prove to be a boon for the world’s authoritarian strongmen

AP - USAID is going away. Here's what it's been doing in South America

Bloomberg - Trump and Musk’s USAID ‘Shut Down’ Threat Opens Door for China

LA Times - How Trump could pave the way for China in Latin America

NYT - Trump’s Plan for the Cartels Isn’t Tough Enough

Politico - Navarro on Trump’s tariff threats: ‘It’s a drug war, not a trade war’

Bloomberg - Mexico’s Sheinbaum Sets Tone on Trump Tariff Negotations

Americas Quarterly - The Storm for U.S.-Mexico Ties Is Only Beginning

Bloomberg - Mexico's Pemex Needs Radical Surgery, Not More Painkillers

World Politics Review - Sheinbaum Isn’t Tempering Her Ambitions for Mexico’s Economy

Guardian - ‘Hope has returned’: tribe hails Lula’s fight against illegal mining in Amazon

AP - Surreal prices for COP30 in Brazil's Amazon leave attendees scrambling for a place to stay

InSight Crime - Crime and Religion in Brazil: The Expansion of Rio’s Pure Third Command

Inter-American Dialogue - Venezuela: A Roadmap to Protect Independent Journalism in Closed Regimes

Efecto Cocuyo - Paso a paso: ¿cómo fue la negociación entre Grenell y Maduro?

World Politics Review - Last Week’s U.S.-Colombia Crisis Won’t Be the Last

Silla Vacia - El regalo de Navidad de Ecopetrol a una petrolera venezolana

AP - Colombia's president orders national oil company to cancel US venture over environmental concerns

CNN - Cocaine is ‘no worse than whisky,’ Colombian president says - You may disagree, but rumors say Petro is personally well-qualified to comment on this issue.

InSight Crime - How Organized Crime Set the Agenda for Ecuador’s Presidential Elections

Bloomberg - After Winning Over Bondholders, Ecuador’s President Looks to Voters for Second Term

Guardian - ‘The last drops of our water’: how a mine left some of Peru’s poorest high and dry

BioBio Chile - Cárceles, armas y terror: la expansión del Tren de Aragua

Americas Quarterly - Guatemala Aims for Quiet Coexistence with Washington

Tico Times - US Backs Costa Rica in Stand Against Chinese Tech Influence

Estrella de Panama - Los pagos secretos de los suplentes de los diputados

Politico - ‘There will be many casualties’: Panama girds for war as Rubio opens talks

Evan Ellis - Beyond the Canal: The Real Risk of Chinese Engagement in Panama

BBC - Panama says US 'spreading lies' over free canal passage

AP - US seized Venezuelan president’s plane held in Dominican Republic during Rubio visit

CEPR - Where Does the Money Go? A Look at USAID Spending in Haiti