Written by Ciara Perez On March 14, 2023, Honduran President, Xiomara Castro, announced that the Honduras Foreign Ministry had begun switching diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China. Though changing diplomatic recognition to China was one of Castro’s campaign promises, in line with the left-wing Liberty and Refoundation Party she represented, it was unclear if Castro would... Continue Reading →
Movement in the Chilean Government
Written by Ciara Perez March 12, 2023 Chilean Constitution Reform After an overwhelming majority voted against the proposed new constitution in September 2022, a second draft is officially in the works. Congress appointed a group of experts to begin the constitution draft, which is expected to be more moderate in its language. “The experts will... Continue Reading →
Bolsonaro Involved in Coup Against Brazil?
Written by Ciara Perez February 5, 2023 On January 26, Brazilian magazine Veja released audio of Senator Marcos do Val, formerly a close ally of Bolsonaro, in which he claimed that the former president had been plotting a way to remain in power and overturn the election. The audio was released after the senator denied... Continue Reading →
Political Protests in Peru
by Ciara Perez Peru has been facing political protests since December 7, 2022, when President Pedro Castillo was ousted from power after an attempt to avoid impeachment by dissolving Congress. His actions resulted in impeachment, and his vice president, Dina Boluarte, stepped in, making her the sixth president in six years. Following this change in... Continue Reading →
UN Report: Venezuela Continues to Commit Crimes Against Humanity
Written by Ciara Perez September 26, 2022 On Tuesday, September 20th, the UN released an investigation conducted by the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela. This is the third investigation carried out since 2019, and it highlights the chain of command of those responsible for committing crimes against humanity as well as an investigation... Continue Reading →
Peruvian President Faces Constitutional Complaint
Written by Ciara Perez October 17, 2022 Peruvian President Pedro Castillo is facing a constitutional complaint alleging that he is leading a corruption ring within the government. This complaint was filed by Attorney General Patricia Benavides. Whereas presidents typically have immunity against criminal charges, the filing of a constitutional complaint gives Congress a loophole to... Continue Reading →
Lula’s Victory, Bolsonaro’s Defeat
Written by Ciara Perez November 7, 2022 On Sunday, October 30th, leftist candidate Luiz Lula won the presidential election by an incredibly small margin of 50.1% to Bolsonaro’s 49.1%. Jair Bolsonaro did not speak publicly for two days after the election results. When he did address the public on Tuesday, he agreed to transfer power... Continue Reading →
Tensions Leading to Brazil’s Election Day
Written by Ciara Perez - September 19, 2022 On October 2nd, the people of Brazil will cast their vote in the presidential election, with candidates including right-wing populist, Jair Bolsonaro, and leftist candidate, Luis Lula. Bolsonaro is the current President running for reelection, and his main rival is Lula, who governed the country from 2003-2010.... Continue Reading →
New Chilean Constitution Rejected by the People
Written by Ciara Perez - September 12, 2022 On September 4, 2022, 13 million Chilean’s participated in a mandatory vote of the newly drafted constitution, which would drastically change the institutional structure of society and the rights of the people. The results were unexpected. Almost 62% of people voted against the proposed draft, compared to... Continue Reading →
Amending Chile’s Constitution
Written by Elliott Cochran - September 5, 2022 On September 4th, the people of Chile will vote on a new constitution. The new constitution will grant rights to the indigenous population and correct inequality. The constitution will shift the voice of Chile to the edges of the nation and away from mining operations. However, there... Continue Reading →
The Patterson Journal of International Affairs 