WRH Volume 37 Issue 19

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In our latest issue you will find the following analyses:

Research Articles

Marichuy and Mexican Leftist Indigenous Politics – By Jordie Conde

“María de Jesús Patricio Martínez, or Marichuy, is a Nahua indigenous traditional healer that has been tapped as the representative for the National Indigenous Congress (CNI), the political arm of the Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN). As a militant group that has rejected Mexican electoral politics in the past, EZLN now sees the importance in seeking progressive change through the political arena with the selection of Marichuy as representative and as an independent candidate for the Mexican presidency in the 2018 elections. Research Associate Jordie Conde analyzes how she will be going against the established dominance of political party rule, predominantly by the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and against early frontrunner for the presidency Andrés Manuel López Obrador, leader of MORENA. Marichuy represents a new hope for indigenous groups, and possibly, a unity among leftist movements seeking prosperity in Mexico.

Research Associate Madeline Asta analyzes the massacre that took place in August 2017 when up to 10 indigenous people were killed by men working for illegal gold prospectors that took place in the Javari Valley, one of the nations largest indigenous reserves. As a result of Brazil’s precarious economic situation, there has been a rise in the illegal exploitation of natural resources and indigenous tribes have been particularly affected. The fight continues for the natives as they continue to strive for equal rights and governmental protection in a region where there is little, if any, governmental presence.

Country Briefs

Country Brief: Bolivia – Bolivia’s Continued Fight for Coastal Access – By Kristina Duran 

With elections coming up in Chile, Evo Morales is following it closely as it could represent yet another opportunity for Bolivia to regain their Coastal Access. Research Associate Kristina Duran analyzes the background of the conflict and also the different possibles outcomes depending on the winner of the elections but there is hope that Beatriz Sanchez will be successful and open discussion towards a possible solution to this long lasting conflict.

Country Brief: Argentina – Argentina’s Midterm Elections – By Jack Memolo  

While there is a clear connection between the inefficiency of the Mexican court system and the ongoing drug war, a lesser known dimension of the problem is preventative detention.  Research Associate Jack Memolo analyzes how preventative detainees make up roughly 40 percent of the prison population. Often times these individuals have no access to habeas corpus– especially if they are being held under arraigo. Arraigo is preventative detention at its most sinister.

Country Brief: Ecuador – State-owned Media Failure in Ecuador – By Tomas Bayas

After years of mismanagement under then president Rafael Correa, the current head of state-owned media outlets has come out to declare that the two largest television outlets, Gamavisión and TC Televisión, have suffered significant monetary looses and that their situation is no longer sustainable. Research Associate Tomas Bayas analyzes how this is yet another action by Lenin Moreno to distance himself from Rafael Correa who used said outlets as a propaganda tool to lambaste his opponents and position himself as the divine hero.

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