Friday Reading List - 9 August 2024
Please ban me from Twitter for ten days. You'd be doing me a favor.
Good morning and happy Friday from a rain-soaked Virginia!
This week’s World Politics Review column was on Maduro’s authoritarian allies. I wrote an additional 10,000 words or so of analysis and did four online presentations, but somehow missed out on publishing anything public in the newsletter. Sorry about that.
Over the past week, I read the book Politics Is for Power by Eitan Hersh. It’s a book that forces you to confront the question of how much time you spend on politics as a hobby (including time on social media) vs how much time you spend on politics to actually get worthwhile things done. While focused on US politics, I spent time thinking about how it could apply to Latin America and US policy in the region. That’s not to say it’s not worth reading the articles below, but do make an effort to consider how the things you read and write contribute to real-world outcomes.
Reading List
Institute of the Americas - Organized Crime and Violence in Mexico: Considerations for Future Nearshoring FDI
NBC News - Marijuana and Mexican cartels: Inside the stunning rise of Chinese money launderers
NYT - Venezuela’s Strongman Was Confident of Victory. Then Came the Shock.
Economist - The real winner of Venezuela’s election urges the regime to face facts
AP - An aid worker's airport disappearance stirs fear of repression following disputed Venezuela election
Bloomberg - Humiliated by Machado, Maduro Arrests 2,000 in Crackdown of Venezuela Opposition
AP - Venezuela's top prosecutor announces criminal probe against opposition leaders González and Machado
Americas Quarterly - What to Watch as Maduro Seeks to Keep Power in Venezuela
LA Times - Opinion: Nicolás Maduro's landslide defeat hasn't dislodged him. Is there still hope for Venezuela?
The Hill - For a peaceful transition in Venezuela, the Americas should unite
Cenital - ¿Cómo mueren las dictaduras? El papel de las Fuerzas Armadas en la transición venezolana
VOA - China stands by Maduro in Venezuela to safeguard its investments
Wilson Center - Venezuela and the Struggle Between Autocracy and Democracy
Colombia Risk Analysis - From Ambition to Stagnation: The Road Ahead for Petro's Administration
InSight Crime - Two Years On, Colombia's 'Total Peace' Brings More Conflict
Americas Quarterly - A Growing Rift in the U.S.-Colombia Relationship
Confidencial - Brasil confirma que Ortega ordenó expulsión de su embajador en Nicaragua
Bloomberg - Latin America's Falling Fertility Rate Could Add to Its Inequality
Americas Migration Brief - August 5, 2024
FT - Kamala Harris must face America’s nimbyism head on
Minnesota Reformer - Former geography teacher Tim Walz is really into maps
Thanks for reading
Have a great weekend!
