Diplomacy & Politics Archive

For the first time in Mexico’s modern democratic history, independent candidates without a party affiliation will be able to compete in a presidential election next year. The first three presidential races since 2000, when Mexico’s democracy was consolidated, required candidates to represent a registered political party. A handful of presidential hopefuls with diverse political credentials and personal backgrounds met the mid-October deadline to register independent candidacies. They now aim to alter the political dynamics ahead of Mexico’s 2018 election, with potentially major repercussions for the country over the next six years. Mexican citizens warmly welcomed the ratification of the electoral […]

The Venezuelan opposition almost had a moment to rejoice last week. On Thursday, the European Parliament awarded one of the world’s most prestigious human rights prizes, the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, to the “democratic opposition in Venezuela.” All the declarations of support and the standing ovations, however, were drowned out by the reality on the ground in Venezuela, where the temporarily united pro-democracy coalition has started unraveling. The renewed turbulence among the forces fighting the relentless usurpation of power by President Nicolas Maduro and his United Socialist Party of Venezuela, or PSUV, comes as one more piece of […]

PRAGUE—Mainstream political parties in Central Europe have struggled in a series of recent elections to overcome their self-described anti-establishment rivals. In the Czech Republic’s legislative election on Oct. 20 and 21, the challenge proved too much, but that doesn’t mean the country is about to ditch democracy. Taking full advantage of an electorate that has grown cynical since the fall of communism 28 years ago, billionaire Andrej Babis drove his populist ANO party to an emphatic victory. Taking 30 percent of the vote, Babis’ party scored close to three times the support of its nearest rival. It was little surprise. […]

Last week, Mozambique’s president, Filipe Nyusi, made several high-profile personnel changes in the state’s intelligence service and security sector. The reshuffle followed a strong endorsement of Nyusi’s leadership at the latest congress of the ruling Frelimo party, as well as a wave of violent attacks on police and politicians. In August, Nyusi met face-to-face with Afonso Dhlakama, leader of the Renamo opposition party, for the first time since 2015. Frelimo and Renamo fought against each other in a civil war that killed an estimated 1 million people from 1976 to 1992, and a flare-up in violence since 2013 has sparked […]

U.S. President Donald Trump will embark on his first presidential tour of Asia on Friday, where he will visit Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines. The trip kicks off just 10 days after Chinese President Xi Jinping emerged triumphantly from the Communist Party of China’s 19th Party Congress, having solidified his rule over the party and articulated a strategic vision for China’s emergence as a global power. All eyes will be on the U.S. president to see whether he is able to reassure America’s anxious allies and partners, as well as the nonaligned countries of the region, of […]