The Andean Connection: Tracking the Drug War’s Coca Leaves and Failed Policies
How drug war-related violence in Mexico and Central America is connected to Andean coca leaves and the failed policies of Plan Colombia.
Articles by Benjamin Dangl
Grassroots Solutions to American Crises: From Collapse to Action
The documentary Crossing the American Crises is a powerful reminder of the countless social movements working each day to transform this country, from the fields of Oklahoma to the streets of New Orleans.
Hope in the Andes: What Ollanta Humala’s Victory Means for Peru
Peru's election of Ollanta Humala puts him among a growing number of leftist presidents in Latin America and offers hope to the poorest sectors of Peruvian society.
Blood in the Amazon: Brazilian Activists Murdered as Deforestation Increases
The recent murder of two environmental activists took place the same day the Brazilian Congress passed legislation that would allow agribusinesses and ranchers to clear even more land in the Amazon.
Tensions escalate over Amazon mega dam
Source: Al Jazeera
In early March, while boisterous Carnival celebrations filled the streets of Rio de Janiero, bulldozers began clearing away Amazonian jungle for roads leading to the construction site of the Belo Monte hydroelectric dam on the Xingu River in northeast Brazil.
The $10bn dam is planned to be the third largest dam in the world. Government officials say its construction will generate thousands of jobs and create electricity for 23 million homes.
Environmental groups and indigenous activists in the area, however, condemn the project, which they say will displace some 20,000 people, and destroy over 100,000 acres of land in an area full of ecological diversity and indigenous communities.
Governing by Obeying the People: Bolivia’s Politics of the Street
From across North Africa to Wisconsin, activists are navigating a new terrain of global protest and relationships with their governments. Whether in ousting old tyrants or dealing with new allies in office, the example of Bolivia holds many lessons for social movements.