On Aug. 18, nearly eight years after 43 students from a teacher’s college in the rural town of Ayotzinapa disappeared, a truth commission set up by the government released a sprawling report that confirmed what many had long argued: The state was involved. But whether the findings will result in accountability remains to be seen.
Across Haiti, mass protests are erupting against insecurity and government impunity. But Prime Minister Ariel Henry seems more interested in protecting his power than in addressing Haiti’s crisis. Since 2021, however, Haitian civil society has been working to develop local solutions to the country’s problems.
On Aug. 7, a multi-ethnic and socially diverse crowd witnessed the historic inauguration of modern Colombia’s first leftist president, Gustavo Petro, and its first Afro-Colombian and woman vice president, Francia Marquez. Petro now faces the enormous challenge of meeting their expectations and making good on his campaign promises.
