News Archive - Latin America and Africa in the News

RAND researchers often write commentaries for publications on a variety of topics. This page lists commentaries and op-eds about or related to Latin America and Africa. For a complete list of commentaries and op-eds by RAND staff, visit the RAND Newsroom.

  • The ECOWAS Committee of Chiefs of Defense staff brief the press on plans to deploy its standby force to the Republic of Niger, in Accra, Ghana, August 18, 2023, photo by Francis Kokoroko/Reuters

    ECOWAS: In Need of Help in Niger?

    Nigerian President Bola Tinubu recently sought the Nigerian national legislature's backing for a possible military intervention by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to turn back a coup that toppled the government of Niger. An ECOWAS intervention would have a better chance of succeeding if other nations joined the effort.

    Aug 25, 2023

  • Peruvian adults in class, photo by Wirestock, Inc./Alamy Stock Photo

    Exploring How Teach for All's Networks Connect Local Educational Organizations

    Using data from the annual alumni survey of Enseña Perú (EP), the Peru chapter of the global Teach for All network, researchers evaluated alumni professional interactions with each other and the extent to which these collaborations span organizations, sectors, and geographic regions in Peru.

    Jul 3, 2023

  • Instructors and soldiers from Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, and Niger during U.S.-sponsored exercises at the international counterterrorism academy in Jacqueville, Ivory Coast, March 14, 2023, photo by Luc Gnago/Reuters

    The Case for a Governance-First U.S. Security Policy in the Sahel

    Both terrorism and coups are on the rise in the Sahel. To reverse this troubling trend, the United States could ramp up support aimed at improving security governance, professionalizing militaries, and strongly sanctioning all forms of military takeovers in the region. This would require a real shift from the current U.S. security approach in the region.

    Jun 8, 2023

  • Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso addresses the nation next to members of government, after he dissolved the National Assembly by decree, in Quito, Ecuador May 17, 2023, photo by Bolivar Parra/Ecuador Presidency/Handout via Reuters

    Is Ecuador in the Middle of a Self-Coup?

    On May 17, the president of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso, dissolved the country's legislature in the midst of impeachment proceedings against him. Did Ecuador just have a self-coup? The answer matters greatly for the country's democratic trajectory and for the international community's response.

    May 31, 2023

  • RAND Weekly Recap

    Violence in Sudan, Alcohol Use, North Korea: RAND Weekly Recap

    This weekly recap focuses on the violence in Sudan, preventing alcohol-related deaths, the North Korean nuclear threat, and more.

    Apr 28, 2023

  • A vintage political world map, image by dikobraziy/Getty Images

    Great-Power Competition Outside the Indo-Pacific and Europe

    The United States, China, and Russia are competing for influence in secondary theaters like Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. Where and why could competition turn into conflict, and what form might that conflict take?

    Apr 25, 2023

  • COVID-19 viruses floating around an image of the world made up of icons of people, image by denisismagilov/Adobe Stock

    Quantifying the link between COVID-19, conflict risk, and the global economy

    While there is a growing consensus that the COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected countries' economies and may exacerbate socio-political unrest, understanding the dynamics of this process remains challenging. RAND Europe research suggests that COVID-19 will significantly increase the risk of civil conflict in African countries. This effect may, in turn, have negative global economic repercussions via international trade losses.

    Mar 3, 2023

  • A wind energy turbine is seen in front of damaged crops in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona in Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico, September 21, 2022, photo by Ricardo Arduengo/Reuters

    Puerto Rico's Food Security Must Factor in Planning Energy Security

    The tragedy of disaster recovery has unlocked substantial capital for Puerto Rico to rewrite its interdependent security in energy and food. Considering food security in this context could help to ensure the population has access to both power and food.

    Feb 24, 2023

  • A Chinese-made YJ-83J anti-ship missile

    China's Security Exports

    China's sale of advanced conventional weapons and provision of private security companies (PSCs) are means to extend its influence abroad. RAND Corporation researchers utilize open-source materials to track the flow of Chinese weapons and PSCs around the world.

    Jan 27, 2023

  • Children waiting in line for food, photo by suheyp/Adobe Stock

    Food Insecurity in Uganda During the COVID-19 Pandemic

    Researchers used a longitudinal mixed-methods approach to evaluate the economic impact of COVID-19 on food security and ART-taking behaviors among people living with HIV in Kampala, Uganda.

    Jan 19, 2023

  • An Algerian corvette fires a Chinese-made anti-ship missile, photo by Hakim Djebbour/Wikimedia (CC by 4.0)

    Mapping Chinese and Russian Military and Security Exports to Africa

    To map the spread of China's and Russia's influence in Africa, RAND researchers analyzed which African countries received weapons and private military contractors from China and Russia during 2018-2021.

    Dec 13, 2022

  • A People's Liberation Army (PLA) delegation (right) visits a United States military facility

    Implications of a Global People's Liberation Army: Historical Lessons for Responding to China's Long-Term Global Basing Ambitions

    Overseas military access and basing is a critical component of China's global military ambitions. In this report, the authors examine three case studies among the United States' competitors to help anticipate what Chinese overseas access and basing might look like in the 2030s. They assess the risks posed by Chinese military expansion and recommend U.S. strategies to help shape the environment in which Chinese global ambitions will unfold.

    Dec 8, 2022

  • A Chinese military parade featuring mounted infantry flying the Chinese flag

    The People's Liberation Army's Search for Overseas Basing and Access: A Framework to Assess Potential Host Nations

    The authors develop a framework of 17 indicators to assess valuable attributes of potential host nations from Beijing's perspective, focusing not only on the utility of host nations (desirability) but also on China's ability to secure access (feasibility). They recommend strategies for the U.S. government, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the U.S. Army to better understand China's overseas plans and to prioritize risks to U.S. forces.

    Dec 8, 2022

  • The foundation stone laying ceremony of the support base of China's PLA in Djibouti, August 1, 2017, photo by Xinhua/Alamy

    What Are China's Global Basing Ambitions?

    China appears likely to seek military access and basing in its immediate vicinity and in the Middle East, but parts of Africa and the Indo-Pacific are also of interest. The United States should carefully prioritize where to resist Chinese access and basing and where to reinforce U.S. relationships.

    Dec 8, 2022

  • African male holding pills, photo by Riccardo Mayer/Adobe Stock

    Using Text Messages, Incentives to Improve Medication Adherence

    Researchers developed a study protocol to test the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a novel intervention that uses text messages and conditional incentives to support anti-retroviral treatment (ART) initiators in establishing pill-taking habits.

    Nov 23, 2022