![Indigenous men and women wearing masks at the wake of Cacique Messias Martins](https://revista.drclas.harvard.edu/files/2023/10/Captura-de-Tela-2023-10-02-às-5.10.46-PM.png)
Spotlight
Perspectives in Times of Change
Photo by Lisette Morales McCabe
“Perspectives in Times of Change” reflects on social, economic, cultural and political transformations in these times of change in Latin America, the Caribbean and Latinx communities in the United States. The Spotlight is an outgrowth of the former Spotlight, Perspectives in the Era of Covid, which ran throughout the pandemic.
If you would be interested in contributing articles or photographs, please contact June Carolyn Erlick, jerlick@fas.harvard.
Browse Articles by Month
Articles
Reticulárea With a Bullfighter in the Background
His torso is nude, and he’s wrapped in his cape, posing with the grace of a matador, before the gaze of the photographer. They come from very different worlds and nevertheless manage to be accomplices in regards to the camera.
A Playground for International Spies: A Look at Mexico
Throughout contemporary history, Mexico has been a key global player because of its natural resources, economic weight, relative sway in international organizations, geography and, most important, its proximity to the United States.
Climate Crisis in the South of Brazil: A Foretold Catastrophe Amidst State Dismantling
The recent climate catastrophe in Porto Alegre and Rio Grande do Sul is a grim reminder of the urgent need to address the systemic dismantling of public structures. The neoliberal policies, fiscal austerity and the subsequent weakening of the state’s capacity have exacerbated the impact of extreme weather events, culminating in the devastating consequences of the floods of May 2024.
Natural Resource Extractivism: Deepening Poverty in La Guajira
It’s easy to be blinded by the unique, physical beauty of La Guajira, a department (like a state) in northeast Colombia. The stark rocky cliffs at Cabo de la Vela rise above ocher-colored beaches, against a backdrop of stunning aquamarines.
Haiti: A Gangster’s Paradise
Haiti is in the news. In recent weeks, gangs have coordinated violent actions, taken to the streets and liberated thousands of inmates to spread chaos and solidify their control of the Port-au-Prince capital.
Crime and Punishment in the Americas
As 2024 ushered in, newly-elected Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa issued a state of emergency in his country, citing a wave of gang violence spurred by the prison escape of a local criminal leader with ties to Mexico’s ruthless Sinaloa Cartel.
Women CEOs in Latin America: Overcoming obstacles, navigating through challenges
I first arrived in Latin America in 1997, and since then, I’ve been involved in education and the development of leadership and governance issues in the region. During these 27 years—12 of them from Spain—I have had the opportunity to interact with leaders from the region, the private and public sectors, multinationals and small and medium-sized enterprises, and various industries.
Alvarado, Arbenz, Arévalo: The Repair of Guatemala
Almost exactly 500 years ago Hernán Cortés dispatched his brother-in-arms Pedro de Alvarado from newly subdued Tenochtitlán to conquer Guatemala. Violent and monumentally willful, Alvarado was a key lieutenant in the Spanish Crown’s conquest of Cuba in 1511 and Cortés’ deputy in defeating Moctezuma’s empire in 1521.
Safety For Whom? The Cost of El Salvador’s Latest Quest for Peace
On January 3, 2024, El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele ordered the destruction of San Salvador’s Monument of Reconciliation, an enormous sculpture on the west side of the capital that had been inaugurated in 2017 under Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) President Salvador Sánchez Cerén. Intended to celebrate 25 years since the signing of the Peace Accords, which brought El Salvador’s civil war to an end, the monument featured two bronze figures—an FMLN fighter and a soldier with arms interlocked and releasing a flock of aluminum pigeons.
Photovoice Dances/Land Relationship of Indigenous Peoples
This powerful quote drew my attention, echoing what authors have written about the crucial connection between Indigenous bodies and their territories, and how colonialism has disastrous consequences affecting this connection.