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The Religious Landscape Of Uruguay In The Third Millennium: Present Piety As A Product Of The Past?, Brandon Kriplean

Honors Theses

Of all Latin American countries, Uruguay enjoys both the lowest percentage of Catholics and the highest percentage of religiously unaffiliated. The central aim of this thesis is to explore the extent to which historical secularization processes and laicidad are responsible for the low number of Catholics and the large number of religiously unaffiliated. With regards to the former, the historical evidence suggests that the small Catholic population is not a result of laicidad but is instead a product of internal issues within the Uruguayan Catholic Church. Part 1 of this thesis will explore the factors that have weakened the Uruguayan …

Haiti: Confronting An Immense Challenge, Irwin Stotzky

University of Miami Inter-American Law Review

This article analyzes the history of Haiti, from its origins as a slave colony of France, which was the richest colony in the Americas, to its war of independence leading to the first Black independent nation in the Americas, to its economic re-enslavement under the power of France and then the United States. The article discusses the great harm the French caused the Haitian people by imposing through force a ransom of billions of dollars that has led Haiti to its present position of being on the brink of becoming a failed state, with all of the disastrous consequences for …

Redress For Historical Injustices: Haiti’S Claim For The Restitution Of Post-Independence Payments To France, Günther Handl

University of Miami Inter-American Law Review

No abstract provided.

Restitution For Haiti, Reparations For All: Haiti’S Place In The Global Reparations Movement, Brian Concannon Jr., Kristina Fried, Alexandra V. Filippova

University of Miami Inter-American Law Review

Haiti’s claim for restitution of the debt coerced by France in exchange for Haiti’s 1804 independence has unique legal advantages that can open the door to broader reparations for the descendants of all people harmed by slavery. But in order to assert the claim, Haiti first needs help reclaiming its democracy from a corrupt, repressive regime propped up by the powerful countries that prospered through slavery and overthrew the Haitian President who dared to assert his country’s legal claim. This article explores Haiti’s Independence Debt, and the fight for restitution of it, in the context of two centuries of continued …

The Lost Haitian Generation And The 1826 “French Debt”: The Case For Restitution To Haiti, Charlot Lucien

University of Miami Inter-American Law Review

No abstract provided.

Shouldering The Burden Of Renewable Energy: Lithium Mining In Chile’S Indigenous Communities, Asha Wedemier-Allan

University of Miami Inter-American Law Review

Technology has improved society, from bridging digital divides to increasing efficiency. To power technology, energy sources were traditionally derived from diminishing and exhaustible resources like fossil fuels. The renewable energy revolution emerged to balance the global demand for technology with its impact on natural resources. Lithium is a critical, non-renewable mineral that clean technology relies on. Essentially, lithium makes renewable energy possible. As the pillar for a fossil fuel-free yet technology-driven society, it is imperative to examine the sustainability and impacts of lithium mining.

This Note discusses the legal and socio-political frameworks shaping foreign direct investments in Chile’s lithium mining …

The War On Gangs: El Salvador’S Playground For International Human Rights Violations, Sanobar Valiani

University of Miami Inter-American Law Review

International human rights law was developed with the underlying philosophy that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. However, since its development, we have seen a vast number of human rights violations persist with no recourse. The War on Gangs in El Salvador is just one example of this. This Note examines the history of the War on Gangs in El Salvador, the tumultuous political landscape that has spurred as a result, and how political efforts to address gang violence have been used as a tactic to strip Salvadorans of their fundamental rights and dignity. …

Sembrando Semillas, Sowing Seeds: Reflections On Latinx Representations In Us Community Psychology's Ajcp, Jesica S. Fernandez, Ireri Bernal, Bianca L. Guzmán

Ethnic Studies

Latinx have contributed to the foundation and formation of the United States, and as this demographic increases, overlooking their unique experiences and lived conditions can limit community psychology's potential to better support them in their wellbeing. Thus, in alignment with the call for a virtual special issue highlighting critical themes in the American Journal of Community Psychology (AJCP), we take an exemplar approach to reviewing 15 articles published between 1979 and 2023. We highlight these articles for their unique contributions in laying the foundation or shifting the discourses of Latinx in the United States. We organize each article under one …

Achieving Social Justice Through Social Economic Rights Litigation, Michael Gyan Nyarko, Svati Shah, Adrian Jjuuko, Kerigo Odada

Biennial Conference: The Social Practice of Human Rights

Human rights defenders are increasingly using to seek social justice. However, opponents have always expressed some disquiet on the suitability of courts in the adjudication of socio-economic rights, which have been deemed as disputes involving the distribution of socio-economic goods and services and, therefore, a prerogative of the political arms of government. Courts and other (quasi)judicial institutions have been said not to have sufficient expertise, information, nor the democratic legitimacy to interfere in the decisions relating to the policy choices that have to be made in the fulfilment of socio-economic rights.

Advocates for the (quasi)judicial enforcement of socio-economic rights have, …

The Prevalence Of Socialism In South America: Democracy And Inequality, Ivannav Davila Garcia

Global Studies Senior Capstone

This thesis studies the development of socialism in South America. It engages foreign relations in the 20th century and the development of left-wing government in South America.

Megacities And Urban Warfare In The 21st Century: The City As The Cemetery Of Revolutionaries And Resources, José De Arimatéia Da Cruz Ph.D./Mph

Journal of Strategic Security

No abstract provided.

Why Cities Fail: The Urban Security Crisis In Ecuador, Jorge Mantilla, Carolina Andrade, Maria Fe Vallejo

Journal of Strategic Security

Compared to other countries in Latin America, Ecuador was traditionally considered a peaceful territory. However, 2022 was the most violent year in the history of Ecuador with a homicide rate of 25.6. In particular, the littoral city of Guayaquil (46.6) poses extraordinary challenges to Ecuadorian security agencies while criminal governance and firepower of criminal armed groups increased steadily in the past four years. This paper explores the relationship between ports, violence, and governance in the context of criminal wars. Through a process-tracing method, it studies the path through which Guayaquil ended up in a security crisis between 2018 and 2022. …

Contentious Consultations: Black Communities, Corporate Experts, And The Constitutional Court In Colombia’S Coal Region, Emma Banks

Faculty Journal Articles

Across the Global South, corporations and governments are displacing Indigenous and Afro-descendant groups in the name of development and economic advancement. International norms guarantee these communities the right to consultation over extractive projects that impact their traditional territories. Ethnic rights laws create spaces for communities to hold corporations accountable for their suffering; the same laws can also allow corporations to co-opt the process. Using a case study from Colombia, I argue that two Black communities filed a petition to seek reparations for a wide range of harms caused by mining yet found themselves on trial over whether they were really …

Developing Pilgrimage Tourism In Latin America: Lessons Learned From The Camino De Santiago, María Carmen Pardo, Mónica Cecilia Cortés García, Goretti Silva

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The Camino of Santiago has demonstrated its role as a strategic factor in the socio-economic development of territories. This paper presents a ‘tool kit’ based on Best Practice, aiming at designing, developing and operating pilgrimage routes in Latin America, inspired by the lessons learned from the Camino de Santiago strategies and policies. The methodology of the research for this paper is open-ended questionnaires to experts and institutions and online surveys to pilgrims. It also builds on a review of academic literature.

The findings show that Latin America is a traditionally religious territory, with a high percentage of the population belonging …

Addressing Health Crises Through Courts? Climate Litigation In Latin America, The Right To Health And Vulnerable Populations, Thalia Viveros Uehara

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

As Latin America faces increasing climate-related health crises that disproportionately affect populations experiencing poverty and social exclusion, it becomes increasingly urgent to realize the most vulnerable's right to health. While the region's new constitutionalism (NLAC) has made progress in protecting this right, it has only recently begun to intersect with climate change law through rights-based climate litigation. This dissertation takes a transdisciplinary multi-methods research approach to answer the following question: How do health crises emerge within, and how are they addressed by courts through, domestic climate litigation in Latin America? Specifically, it examines how health concerns for vulnerable populations are …

Phenotypic And Genotypic Characterization Of Grain Quality In Rice And Implications For Breeding, Raul A. Guerra-Lacayo

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Rice will continue to be a staple food for the foreseeable future, and plant breeding can foment the resilience of this crop. Applied breeding programs with clear objectives can effectively develop varieties that satisfy stakeholder needs. The majority of U.S.-produced rice is destined to export markets, and Latin America is the largest importer of U.S. rice, receiving 59% of total exports in 2021. Since 2010, Latin American importers voiced concerns about the quality of U.S. rice, mainly the high chalk content of milled rice and the stickiness of cooked rice. To address these issues, the objectives of this project were: …

Idiosyncrasy Of The State And God: An Analysis On Religiosity And Ideology In Latin America, James D. Fiorenza

Culture, Society, and Praxis

In this research paper, I will be analyzing the relationship between the religiosity of Latin America in terms of popular religion and religiosity of its followers, and how it has impacted and continues to impact the political systems of Latin America in terms of ideology. I will be conducting this research by conducting three case studies following the development of my hypothesis, my research of my case nations and the collecting of all needed data. After this, I will compare all my data and establish a well-developed conclusion which accurately conveys and demonstrates this data. My research will focus on …

Amy Reed-Sandoval And Luis Rubén Díaz Cepeda, Eds. Latin American Immigration Ethics [Review Of The Book Latin American Immigration Ethics, By A. Reed-Sandoval & L. R. Díaz Cepeda, Eds.], John Francis Burke

Political Science Faculty Research

No abstract provided.

Journalism On Forced Migration In Latin America: Recommendations From Experts And International Journalism Guides From A Qualitative Study, Gabriel Lotero-Echeverri, Luis M. Romero-Rodríguez

The Qualitative Report

Wars, insurgent groups, dictatorships, and economic crises are the main reasons for forced migration. Displaced persons, asylum seekers, and refugees often face public stigmatization, as they are treated by the media as a social problem and, in many cases, seen as economic and social threats. This article presents the results of in-depth interviews with expert journalists and researchers from different Latin American countries on the phenomenon of forced migration and its journalistic coverage. Their recommendations are complemented by Qualitative Document Analysis (QDA) of international guides on migration journalism. The findings highlight the need for training and awareness-raising in critical skills …

Un País Invertido: The Current Immigration Regime Of Colombia, Magdalena Hendrickson

Honors Theses

Throughout its turbulent history, Colombia has seen drastic changes in structure and administration. From military coups to shaky coalitions, the country’s infamous instability has long forced its citizens to find better prospects elsewhere. However, with the rise of the Maduro administration in Venezuela, Colombia faced a massive new flow of migrants and was forced to rectify current circumstances without properly addressing its internal issues beforehand. Despite its historical status as a nation of emigrants, Colombia marks a new norm for the rest of the globe. As new issues like climate change and increased armed conflict grow worldwide, countries on the …

Women In The Cuban Revolution: Where's The Change?, Sierra Beaulac

Honors Program Theses and Projects

The Cuban Revolution of 1959 was a notable turning point in the country's history, with significant ramifications for politics, culture, and society. One crucial aspect of the Revolution was its impact on the role of women in society. The Revolution sought to end capitalism and establish a socialist government as communism emerged, but alongside this was a push to challenge the entrenched gender norms of Cuba's patriarchal society. Before the Revolution, Cuban women faced significant inequality and discrimination. They were often relegated to traditional roles such as homemaking and childcare and excluded from participation in formal politics and activism. However, …

The Domestic Worker In Latinx Fiction: The Discursive Formation Of Latinidad, Constance Von Igel De Mello

English (MA) Theses

The figure of the domestic worker in Latinx and Latin American fiction is a prominent character, permeating multiple genres and geographic locations. Post-colonial and feminist engagement with literature begs us to engage with the racialized and gendered constraints of this character in order to understand the borders of latinidad as based on the exclusion of certain bodies, predominantly black ones. Using the domestic worker characters from Julia Alvarez’s How the García Girls Lost Their Accents (1991) and Edwidge Danticat’s The Farming of Bones (1998), and underscoring their historical and socio-political background of Hispaniola, we can understand the embodied context of …

Self-Perceived Stigma Of Caregivers With Children On The Autism Spectrum In Latin America, Leah Michelle Jara

Theses and Dissertations

With the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) continuing to spread along with limited knowledge on the disorder’s service accessibility, many caregivers are required to care for lifelong obligations, often at the sake of their own mental, physiological, and emotional health. This study aimed to explore self-perceived stigmas of caregivers in Latin America based on predictors including demographics, severity, and type of healthcare coverage. Participants included 2483 caregivers in Latin America who completed a survey targeting the challenges, priorities, barriers to care, and stigma they face caring for an individual with autism. Findings showed that age had a weak inverse …

Teaching Abortion As A Historical Construct: The Case Of Early Twentieth-Century Brazil And Beyond, Cassia Roth

Feminist Pedagogy

Using open-access primary sources available online, this activity teaches abortion as an unstable category through a specific case study, early twentieth-century Brazil. The one-week module, although specific to one geographic region and chronological period, can serve as a lesson plan for undergraduate history courses, for disciplines that use genealogy methods, and for interdisciplinary courses. The lesson plan helps undergraduates think critically about what we think we know about abortion, and how our current understandings are not fixed but rather contingent on the society in which we live and on who is practicing abortion. Changing understandings of what constitutes an abortion …

Is There Force In Force Majeure After Covid-19 Or In The Freedom To Negotiate Risk?, Sara Lazarevic

University of Miami Inter-American Law Review

This note explores the impact COVID–19 has had on contracting parties who have attempted to implicate force majeure provisions. An inquiry of recent cases reveals varying degrees of success and tension when parties turn towards force majeure text. This Note analyzes common law alternatives, discusses the implication of force majeure clauses as applied under Mexican and American law, highlights the implications that have played out in recent court decisions, and discusses post–pandemic implications that could affect how parties conduct cross–border transactions in the future.

Mitigating Zoonotic Disease Threats To Prevent Future Pandemics: A Critical Analysis Of Policy Favoring The Closures Of Wildlife Markets In Latin America, Melany J. Danielson

University of Miami Inter-American Law Review

The Preventing Future Pandemics Act was introduced to mitigate zoonotic disease threats around the world by focusing policy efforts on the closure of wildlife markets that gave rise to COVID–19. This Note challenges the efficacy of wildlife market closure policy by considering cultural, socioeconomic, and legal factors for the existence of wildlife market within megadiverse countries in Latin America. Based on scientific research on the animal-to-human interface and zoonotic disease transmission, this Note suggests effective policy should incorporate a targeted species ban for reservoir species, improved sanitary measures and disease surveillance, and wildlife trafficking prevention. Ultimately, this Note calls for …

The Mexican Civil Code Of 1928 And The Social Function Of Property In Mexico And Latin America, M.C. Mirow

Emory International Law Review

No abstract provided.

Democracy In Latin America, Democracy Everywhere, Jamie L. Mantilla Vale

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The obstacles that hinder democracy in Latin America are the topics of interest of this research. Loopholes within Latin American democratic systems of governance are a cause for concern, but also intrigue. In this research the specific loopholes and strengths of democracies in Latin America will be spotted and explained. More specifically, this research features a series quantitative method to help explain and evaluate the characteristics of strong democracies in Latin America as well as the characteristics of weak democracies in Latin America. A series of regression models show a causal relationship between rule of law and the overall democratic …

Truth In Horror: Cinematic Representations Of Social Violence In Spain, Latin America, And The United States, Kelly Ferguson

Theses and Dissertations--Hispanic Studies

My dissertation, Truth in Horror: Cinematic Representation of Social Violence in Spain, Latin American, and the Latinx United States, investigates the recent explosion of political horror films that straddle the past and present, reflecting both the current political moment and the polemic historical memories of state repression against racialized others and ideological dissidents. Chapter One, “Paranoid Horror and the Return of Franco,” studies four Spanish horror films, Tras el cristal (1986), Pa negre (2010), Mientras duermes (2011), and Musarañas (2014), all of which feature child protagonists that seek out truth about violent family secrets, but ultimately reject it as …

Uninvited Guests In The Backyard: Dangers And Risks Of Terrorist And Anti-American Activity In Latin America, Santiago Spadiliero

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The international security environment has changed. In the last two decades, new challengers to the American liberal order arose, with China being the most defiant one, in political and military terms. Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative opened the doors to these extra-continental powers, as their loans provided an alternative source of funding for Latin America, walking these countries away from American-led lending institutions. In this new context, Latin America becomes a desirable piece of land in which these new challengers can safely create trade routes while decreasing American influence. Russia and Iran also want to project power in America’s backyard. …