Americas
List of Americas articles
The Problem With Invoking the ‘Third World’ Slur
The Trump verdict is the latest prompt for deploying a meaningless comparison. All that does is reflect poorly on the United States.
The South China Sea Risks a Military Crisis
The Philippine president drew a red line this week, but mutual restraint from Manila and Beijing can calm tensions.
Trump’s Conviction Could Help End Elite Impunity
An assault on democracy demands a wider legal and political response.
The World Reacts to Trump’s Guilty Verdict
Chinese and Russian state media mirrored Trump’s talking points on the trial.
A Nation of Alternative Realities
Trump’s felony conviction shows that no man is above the law, but it also deepens the United States’ war with itself.
Caribbean Summit Showcases the Power of Island Politics
Vulnerable nations continue to punch above their weight in global debates on climate finance and justice.
Why Mexico’s Election Matters
A vote for continuity could see further erosion of democratic institutions—with consequences for the rest of the world.
Why Diego Garcia Matters
A dispute over a tiny island in the Indian Ocean presents complications for U.S. goals in the Indo-Pacific.
Biden’s New Tariffs Should Raise Alarm Bells in Beijing
In the fight for economic dominance, Washington is playing the long game.
The U.S. Tries Its Hand at Cricket
As the country co-hosts its first World Cup, the South Asian diaspora is already giving the sport a boost.
Mexico’s Historic Elections, Explained
The country is all but guaranteed its first woman president.
The U.S.-Saudi Agreement Is a Fool’s Errand
For the sake of the international order, Biden must abandon his proposed deal with Riyadh.
Mexico’s Next Leader Has an Energy Problem
The country cannot expand and modernize its infrastructure under the primacy of two state companies.
How to Respond to China’s Tactics in the South China Sea
Beijing is testing the U.S.-Philippines alliance, and a new strategy is needed.
The Philippines Needs Butter, Not Just Guns
To counter China, Washington must help its ally address economic issues.
Where Canada’s Weed Legalization Went Wrong
A new government report faults Ottawa with prioritizing big business over public health.
Are U.S.-China Talks Accomplishing Anything?
Meetings on climate and AI show some progress, but tech competition still dominates the relationship.
The End of Left Versus Right
Fareed Zakaria on the scrambling of our political spectrums—and how that’s a sign of a broader revolution afoot.
Campus Protests Reflect Impatience With U.S. Foreign Policy
The Biden administration’s disavowal of students’ concerns will only make things worse.
Democracies Aren’t the Peacemakers Anymore
How Washington can reclaim its diplomatic primacy in an authoritarian age.
When Knowledge Stops at the Water’s Edge
Fears about foreign contacts and security clearances are making America’s future diplomats and policymakers less worldly and more insular.
How Fates Diverged in Hispaniola
As the Dominican Republic basks in post-election optimism, Haiti readies for a foreign security intervention.
Kenya and the U.S. Need Each Other More Than Ever
Closer ties to emerging economies are an insurance policy for Washington against geopolitical shocks.
Cities Are the Canaries in the Public Health Coal Mine
Preparing for the next pandemic starts in their streets and sewers.
Consulting Firms Have Stumbled Into a Geopolitical Minefield
The era of free-flowing information is over.
The U.S. Still Has a Lend-Leash Act for Ukraine
Washington is finding ways to get Kyiv more money—but keeps it hamstrung from actually fighting the war.
The Pentagon Isn’t Buying Enough Ammo
Munitions procurements are woefully insufficient for modern war.
When Will Washington Get Serious About Taiwan?
Its long-standing attitude toward the island is based on a set of military and political foundations that no longer exist.
How Foreign Policy Shapes Music Around the World
From the United States to Ukraine, music has influenced—and been influenced by—international politics.
The True Horseman of the ‘Fallout’ Apocalypse
Amazon’s adaptation of the video game knows what Americans should really be afraid of.
The Man Who Would Help Trump Upend the Global Economy
As a potential U.S. Treasury secretary, Robert Lighthizer has more than trade policy to revolutionize.
Rift or Rupture?
What the war in Gaza is doing to U.S.-Israeli relations.
How the Beyoncé Bump Affected Sweden
In some markets, the megastar creates her own economic climate system.
What Biden’s New China Tariffs Mean for World Trade
“We are very concerned,” says WTO chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
The U.S. Navy Can’t Build Ships
Decades of deindustrialization and downsizing have left America without shipyards to build and maintain a fleet.
What Madam President Means for Mexico
The country’s top two candidates are women, but feminists aren’t declaring victory yet.
Chinese Companies Keep Buying U.S. Land Near Military Bases
National security experts warn that some of those purchases are too close for comfort.
The U.S. Should Stop Playing the Victim Over China Trade
Washington can accept reality and shift strategies.
‘We Are Allied, but We Are Not Aligned’
Josep Borrell, Europe’s outgoing foreign-policy chief, on the U.S., China, Ukraine, and Gaza.
U.S. Intelligence Is Facing a Crisis of Legitimacy
Bad-faith attacks are putting U.S. security in danger.
The Woman Inheriting AMLO’s Revolution
If she wins Mexico’s presidency, Claudia Sheinbaum’s most daunting political challenge will be persona, not policy.
The United States Has a Keen Demographic Edge
Competitors of the United States face plunging birthrates and social gloom.
Peru Learns to Read the Fine Print in China Deals
A mistaken provision has given Beijing control of a key port.
China and the U.S. Are Numb to the Real Risk of War
The pair are dangerously close to the edge of nuclear war over Taiwan—again.
‘Fat Leonard’ Was a Crook U.S. Admirals Called Bro
In the Navy, you can do as you please.
What’s Ailing Tesla?
More people are buying electric cars, just not from Elon Musk.
Panama Picks a New President
José Raúl Mulino faces an uphill climb out of an economic and political slump.
Are Campus Protesters Heroes or Hypocrites?
As universities take center stage in the debate over Israel’s war in Gaza, the unrest could spell trouble for Biden’s reelection campaign.
What Does America Want in Ukraine?
Washington’s current approach is a strategic cop-out—and risks making another forever war.
Uncle Sam Wants You to Join the Mining Industry
A major talent squeeze is complicating Washington’s critical mineral ambitions.
Lula Doesn’t Understand Today’s Brazil
How the Brazilian left has become a victim of its own success.
Washington Takes Its Cyber Strategy Global
The Biden administration lays out its plan to build a global dream team of technology defenders.
Get Ready for Trump Trade Wars 2.0
Past is prologue, to the chagrin of experts, economists, and allies.
Why Are More Chinese Migrants Arriving at the U.S. Southern Border?
Asylum-seekers and others are making the journey through the risky Darién Gap in the wake of the pandemic.
China Wants to ‘Divide and Conquer’ Europe
Why Xi Jinping is visiting France, Serbia, and Hungary this week.
No, This Is Not a Cold War—Yet
Why are China hawks exaggerating the threat from Beijing?
Mexico and the United States Need to Talk About China Now
Near-simultaneous presidential elections risk putting bilateral relations on a collision course.
What America’s Palestine Protesters Should and Shouldn’t Do
A how-to guide for university students from a sympathetic observer.
Washington Keeps Choosing the Wrong Moment to Challenge China
The TikTok ban shows how decisions end up rushed—after being ignored.
‘Russia Feels Like They’re Winning’
A top House Democrat gets real on Ukraine, Israel, and China.
A New Age of Empires
What makes a modern empire, from Russia to cyberspace.
Duke Ellington, the Jazz Legend Who Became a Diplomat
The band leader broke new ground in U.S. cultural diplomacy even as he faced racism at home.
The Columbia Protests and the Economics of Divestment
What would meeting the demands of pro-Palestinian protesters cost the university?
Is ‘the Media’ Really Under Attack?
We need a new framework to understand how today’s autocrats control public opinion.
The Tech Hawks Took Down TikTok. Now What?
Silicon Valley and Washington are finding common ground on China. But some worry about groupthink.
A U.S.-Saudi Deal Without Israel Is an Illusion
The hype about a bilateral agreement is misplaced. Diplomatic normalization and a Palestinian state are needed to really change the regional playing field.
Chile Confronts Organized Crime
A spate of killings has shocked the country, long known for its safety in the region.
No, College Curriculums Aren’t Too Focused on Decolonization
Critics of campus demonstrations are aiming at the wrong target. We need to study more history, not less.
The Real Cost of Reimposing Sanctions on Venezuela
Sectoral sanctions are hurting the country’s democratic transition—and pushing Caracas closer to U.S. adversaries.
Congress Gives the Arsenal of Democracy a Boost
Some experts wonder if it’s enough to respond to China, Russia, and terror threats at the same time.
Nobody Is Competing With the U.S. to Begin With
Conflicts with China and Russia are about local issues that Washington can’t win anyway.
How Washington Should Manage Rising Middle Powers
And why it would be a mistake to judge emerging powers by the strength of their ties to China or Russia.
Cuba Is Ailing, but the Regime Remains Sturdy
Despite U.S. hopes, Communist Party rule in Havana is not about to collapse.
Appeasement Is Underrated
Rejecting diplomacy by citing Neville Chamberlain’s deal with the Nazis is a willfully ignorant use of history.
How the World Can Prepare for Trump 2.0
A look at the guardrails that experts say Washington and its allies should consider erecting ahead of time.
HBO’s ‘The Sympathizer’ Leans Into the Tragic Absurdity of the Vietnam War
The series lampoons the military, academia, and Hollywood portrayals of the era.
What Columbia’s Protests Reveal About America
Some politicians have called student protesters a threat. Instead, they are providing us all with an education in democracy.
What a Real Civil War Would Do to the U.S. Economy
A new film focuses on politics, but the economic impact would be huge.
New Leaders Turn the Region’s Geopolitics on Its Head
Argentina wants to become a NATO partner—and Colombia seeks to join BRICS+.
The U.S. Munitions Deficit Is a Political Problem
Just three U.S. states receive one-third of all defense contract awards.
What Ghana Can Learn From Taiwan
As vote-buying corrupts the country’s politics, the West African nation could learn from Taipei’s effective crackdown on the practice.
U.S. Allies Relieved After Senate Passes Long-Delayed Aid Bill
But the fact it took so long to pass has some worried about future support.
Does Trump Have a Foreign-Policy Vision?
A new book lays claim to interpreting the former president’s global legacy—and has a plan for what a second term could accomplish.
Congressional Push for Oil Sanctions Puts Biden in a Bind
New measures to punish Iran, Venezuela, and Russia could raise crude prices and hurt Biden in an election year.
New Zealand Becomes the Latest Country to Pivot to the U.S.
Beijing’s bullying tactics have pushed Wellington into Washington’s welcoming arms.
Can Wind and Solar Solve Climate Change?
A new book unwittingly makes the case that they can’t.
The New Empires of the Internet Age
Cyberspace has upended the old world order.
Have Israel and the United States Done Enough to Deter Iran?
U.S. allies intercepted hundreds of Iranian drones and missiles, and then Israeli forces counterattacked in a limited strike—but the threat of regional war remains.
Latin American Start-Ups Make Their Pitch
From fintech to AI, investors are enthusiastic about the region’s growth potential.
The Terrorist Threat the West Still Ignores
Domestic far-right terrorism has been increasingly internationalized—and requires a coordinated response.
The Moral Hazard of Biden’s Support for Israel
The U.S. president can’t stop Israel from retaliating against Iran, but he can choose whether to help Israel manage the consequences.
Iran’s Attack Complicates Efforts to Condition U.S. Military Aid to Israel
Calls to curb U.S. support for Israel’s war in Gaza over the humanitarian crisis risk being upended by Israel’s pressing security needs.
‘The Regime’ Misunderstands Autocracy
HBO’s new miniseries displays an undeniably American nonchalance toward power.
‘Civil War’ Succeeds Because Its Politics Make No Sense
The nightmare scenario is extra terrifying because of its dreamy lack of logic.
Republicans Are More United on Foreign Policy Than It Seems
Squabbles over Ukraine aid obscure broader consensus among the party’s two major wings.
The Tragedy of Haiti
The world has let this Caribbean country down for centuries. Will anything change now?
How Mexico’s Presidential Candidates Could Reshape Security Policy
AMLO’s “hugs, not bullets” approach was more slogan than strategy. Can his successor do better?
Biden’s ‘Coalitions of the Willing’ Foreign-Policy Doctrine
The latest flurry of U.S. diplomacy shows how the president is all about “minilateralism.”
How to Defend U.S. Rights to a Million Square Kilometers of Ocean Floor
The U.S. remains an outsider to the maritime treaty it presses on others.