Three Spanish-owned airports were nationalized this week in Bolivia. A Spanish firm, Sabsa, had a contract to operate the airports in La Paz, Santa Cruz and Cochabamba until 2025. Bolivian President Evo Morales justified the takeover, by suggesting that the airlines weren’t spending enough on infrastructure, but Sabsa has reported that it was operating at…
Despite the fact that the indigenous people in the Americas made alcoholic beverages before European grapes were imported by the Conquistadors, the local vitis genus of grapes were never used to make wine. The first known attempt to grow vines for wine began in Hispaniola after Columbus’ second voyage in 1594. Since then, viticulture spread across the…
During the recent Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the European Union in Santiago, Chile, Bolivian President Evo Morales reiterated his demanded that Chile give up national territory to provide Bolivia with more convenient access to the Pacific ocean. Responding to Morales’ most recent demands during the CELAC-EU meetings…
He was leader of Peru, and “President of Colombia.” The entire country of Bolivia is named in his honor. Born on July 24, 1783, he was serendipitously raised in an age of revolutions, and was one of the key leaders in the struggle for independence from Spain, which he would help to spread throughout Latin America. Just…
Bolivia and Paraguay are both landlocked neighbors in South America. Neither have had the luxury of strong economies. Between 1932 and 1935, the two countries fought the bloodiest conflict on the continent in the 20th century. At dispute, was a region known as “Gran Chaco” which was incorrectly believed to contain substantial oil deposits. Control…
Initiated in 2004 as a pet project of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, the Alianza Bolivariana para los Pueblos de Nuestra América started as a pact between the impoverished nation of Cuba, and Venezuela. The pact started as a simple partnership between communist Cuba, and fascist Venezuela. Under the initial agreement, Venezuela basically exchanged about 96,000…
Bolivia has a history with Chile. During the War of the Pacific, Bolivia and Peru united against Chile from 1879 through 1883. Being on the losing side of the war, Bolivia lost direct access to the Pacific. According to the Treaty of Peace and Friendship signed by Bolivia in 1904, Bolivia lost territory previously connecting…
Bolivia, Ecuador Nicaragua, and Venezuela are no strangers to anti-Western posturing. Recently, the nations have been cozying up to the Islamic nation Iran while simultaneously touting increasingly populist rhetoric, and implementing draconian policies such as disarming law abiding citizens in Venezuela, flouting national laws in Nicaragua, or attacks on the press in Ecuador. Last Tuesday,…
Despite mounting evidence of Iranian support for terrorist organizations and growing ties in Latin America, Vice President Joe Biden said to reporters last Wednesday that “People talk about Hezbollah. They talk about Iranian support for weapons and the rest. I guarantee you, Iran will not be able to pose a hemispheric threat to the United…
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