IAD President Discusses Issues Facing Latin America
Michael Shifter, President of the Inter-American Dialogue, spoke at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University on November 29, 2017 about the current issues facing Latin America as well as the United States policy dynamics that affect the region.
The conversation was hosted by the Center for Latin American Studies, an affiliated regional center of the Pardee School, was moderated by David Scott Palmer, Pardee School Professor Emeritus of International Relations and Political Science.
The Inter-American Dialogue is a U.S. based center for policy analysis, exchange, and communication on issues in Western Hemisphere affairs based in Washington, D.C. The Dialogue brings together public and private leaders from across the Americas to address hemispheric problems and opportunities. The center aims to foster democratic governance, prosperity, and social equity in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Shifter discussed some of the major issues facing the region including political corruption, which he said is receiving more attention and backlash than it has in the past.
“The corruption issue is an issue that comes up in every country. Corruption has been around for a long time and it’s everywhere, but it has become more of a political issue and there has been a greater reaction from a lot of citizens along with less tolerance of corruption than there has been in the past,” Shifter said. “Brazil, I think, is the most striking example of that where the judicial system working pretty well with prosecutors and others are putting people who are guilty behind bars”
According to Shifter, the region has also seen a spike in violent crime recently. He argued that issues of crime and security will be among the most important for the region to address in the coming years.
“The other issue in Brazil which is important is crime and security. Latin American is now not only the most unequal region in the world but also the most violent region in the world when you look at the statistics. The leading countries in terms of homicides are in Latin America and the Caribbean. Brazil is a country which has had its ups and downs, but has now witnessed a spike in violent crime especially in Rio and other major cities.