
An important obstacle to combating the spread of mafia states is a basic lack of awareness among ordinary citizens and policymakers about the extent of the phenomenon.

Although former president of Columbia Álvaro Uribe is currently facing sharp criticism, it is hard to dispute the fact that Uribe left his country better than how he found it.

Sooner or later the situation in Argentina will become unsustainable, forcing the government to make unpopular and necessary changes in its economic policies to put the nation on a more sustainable path.

The Brazilian president's visit to Washington provides an opening for the two countries to deepen their relationship—a step which would help Brazil as it seeks to become a global power and enable the United States to benefit from Brazil's economic ascent.

Beijing faces a real challenge in determining how to put both the economic and political China-Latin America relationship on more sustainable, longer-term footing.

Over the past 20 years, emerging economies have not only grown faster than advanced countries, but outperformed market expectations--leading to significant returns on investment. Whether this will be the case in the future remains to be seen.

Slums reflect both the limited capacity of local governments to accommodate swelling urban populations and policy failures. More rational policies could help reduce their growth while also improving the lives of the urban poor.

China is becoming an increasingly significant economic partner for Latin America. But its rise is part of a broader, long-term shift towards a world in which emerging markets have greater economic weight.

This year there will be presidential elections or changes of heads of government in countries that together account for over half of the world economy, a process which could have an adverse effect on the quality of the decisions made by governments.

Brazil is rapidly acquiring a higher profile in the international community by virtue of its investments in soft power, and it hopes to reform many institutions of international governance.