Latin America's left turn and the new strategic landscape: the case of Bolivia

Latin America's leftward tide means a fresh landscape with regard to strategic affairs. Nowhere is this clearer than in the Bolivian case, where the election of Evo Morales and the rise of indigenismo signal a sweeping change in key matters of security, including those related to resource extraction, potential secession, and regional strategic realignment. The first half of this article is devoted to the context of political economy, which frames the appearance of new security themes. The second half of the piece analyses strategic changes that have accompanied a new economic model that features nationalisation and a radical redistribution of wealth.     

The political economy of impunity in Colombia: the case of Colombian labour

The problem of impunity has dominated the Colombian political landscape against the backdrop of almost non-stop war in the country since independence. The focus here shall be upon impunity in relation to human rights abuses regarding Colombian workers and union members. The central argument is that impunity is socially entrenched in Colombia due to an historical legacy of a weak state, a concomitant lack of institutionalised conflict resolution mechanisms and the stigmatisation of unions as havens for the revolutionary Left.     

A salt on the land: A narrative analysis of the controversy over irrigation-related salinity and toxicity in California's San Joaquin Valley

A narrative network analysis of the seeming paralysis of efforts to deal with the problem of toxic elements in agricultural drainage in California's San Joaquin Valley shows irrigation agencies to be caught in a dilemma. Despite pressures to reduce uncertainty about treatment methods, reducing this uncertainty risks increased political polarization over agricultural subsidies. As a result, policy-makers are reluctant to move in any action-forcing direction, and continue to order further studies. We sketch out those areas of contention that must be addressed if real progress is to be made, demonstrating that the issues are primarily organizational and political rather than technical. We also discuss our experience in presenting these findings, along with our recommendations for structural separation of drainage functions from present irrigation agencies, to the relevant policy audience.