The movement seeking reparations for slavery and colonialism has so far been met with minimal buy-in from the former colonial powers that benefited from the trans-Atlantic slave trade. But engaging with calls for reparations could be a powerful diplomatic gesture that those nations could offer to the Global South.
Last month, Colombia announced it will apply for BRICS membership, and Argentina formally requested to become one of NATO’s global partners. Ten years ago, both of those statements would have sounded absurd. But while they are a sign of Latin America’s changing diplomatic alliances, it would be a mistake to read too much into them.
The regime of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro will probably remain in power after elections scheduled for late July. But the past few weeks have been unusually positive ones for Venezuela’s opposition. The faintest glimmers of optimism have begun to appear due to events unfolding in ways that have caught the Maduro regime off guard.
