In Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, life is standing still. Since over a week, the main highway is blocked by countless trucks. Hundreds of uniform-looking school busses drive past, horns blaring in an unorchestrated concert. The vehicles are adorned with Brazilian flags, spray-painted in the national colours and wallpapered in protest-signs. “Stop the thieving” is one of the most common ... Read More »
The Tri-Border Area (TBA) of Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina is the breeding ground of a peculiar partnership, which intertwines two of the most complex conflicts of this century: the wars on terror and drugs. It is home to a large and thriving Lebanese community that moved here in the 1980s, which only represent a fraction of the total Lebanese population in ... Read More »
For the first time in almost six decades, Cuba is headed by a man whose last name isn’t Castro: former vice-president Miguel Díaz-Canel succeeded 86-year-old Raúl Castro on Thursday as head of state of the defiant Caribbean republic. But will new leadership signal change for the nation, or will Díaz-Canel stick to the course set by his predecessors? Although Díaz-Canel ... Read More »
Cars were driving on one of Rio de Janeiro’s busy main streets. It was a regular day until one car pulled up to another. Nine shots rang. Four found their target. Three killed the driver. Two people died. One country was left speechless – but then its people took to the streets. After the killing of Marielle Franco, a prominent ... Read More »
The elections in Honduras last November were supposed to go smoothly and secure the position of current president Juan Orlando Hernández. Then the counting of the votes began and the events unfolded as unstoppable as an unfinished domino course started too soon. On the evening of the 26th November, nothing seemed suspicious. As 60% of the votes have already been ... Read More »
Despite the dramatic partisan polarisation the United States has seen over the past two decades, there is one thing on which all US politicians seem to agree: America is the Greatest Nation on Earth. Their interpretations may differ – from Reagan’s proud Shining City on a Hill to Obama’s unique brand of modest, self-critical belief in American potential – but ... Read More »
Although Venezuela has been characterized by political turmoil in much of recent history, many claim it is currently experiencing its lowest point in the century. The land gifted with the largest petroleum reserves is now caught up in the middle of a crisis that comprehends every aspect of life in the country. The situation in Venezuela encompasses much more than ... Read More »
“The Saudi Arabia of Lithium,” is what Forbes called the “lithium triangle” made by salt flats of Uyuni in Bolivia, Atacama in Chile and Hombre Muerto in Argentina. The regions together amount to 75-85% of the world’s lithium reserves, a key asset in an era of technological development. The demand for lithium has sharply risen in the last decade due to ... Read More »
After failing to fulfill membership requirements such as respect for human rights, economic agreements, migration and freedom of the press, Venezuela has officially been suspended from the Southern Common Market (Mercosur). This has had an explosive effect on the already hostile rhetoric of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who has rejected the decision and claimed that Venezuela will not be suspended ... Read More »
It is crazy how people know everything about Kylie Jenner’s lipstick but not about what ICJ does…like which war it prevented and so on. The Pax Initiative is a non-governmental organisation launched at the end of 2015 by a team of young and passionate professionals who aim at gathering and empowering youth from all over the world. The NGO focuses ... Read More »
Checks&Balances Checks and Balances is the magazine of the Study Association Clio from the program "International Relations and International Organization" at the University of Groningen. Topics include international politics, ethics, conflict and development