An investigation by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) concluded that in Latin America, only Uruguay and Costa Rica ranked in the region’s "full democracies" category, described as when countries respect civil liberties and representative governance.
Politicians, who often accuse others of undermining their work, should be the first ones to realize that their words and statements have an impact. Serious damage is done when we make “politician” into an insult or, even worse, something that looks like a crime on someone’s résumé.
A total of 142.8 million voters will cast ballots next Sunday to decide the next leader of the continent-sized nation, the world's seventh-biggest economy.
Given a historic chance to go it alone as an independent nation, Scottish voters instead appeared early Friday to be sticking with the United Kingdom following a vote that was marked by extraordinary turnout.
LONDON – Britain's newspapers declared Thursday a "day of destiny" in dramatic front pages streaked with blue, white and red as Scotland votes on whether to split from the United Kingdom.
If a majority of voters in Scotland vote yes in a referendum Thursday, it will sever a three-centuries-old union and plunge what's left of Britain into an existential funk. Those wondering where it all went wrong may find there's one particular person to blame: the late former prime minister Margaret Thatcher.
Johnny Araya never fails to surprise me. Like most Costa Ricans, about a year ago I thought it inevitable that he would become President Laura Chinchilla’s successor, and that the opposition had little or no chance of beating him. But sometimes politics is unpredictable.