Frederic Puglie

The Washington Times • 15th December 2020

Latin American leftists watch warily for change in U.S.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro for four years has had to worry about President Trump’s warning that, when it comes to his troubled government, “all options are on the table.” And though the socialist strongman may rest a little easier once Mr. Trump leaves the White House, the incoming Biden administration is unlikely to roll out the red carpet for him or or his allies.

The Washington Times • 26th November 2020

Newfound flexibility? Defiant Bolsonaro not rushing to embrace Biden

In the wee hours of election night Nov. 3, the president’s son tweeted a screenshot of Michigan vote totals purporting to show a sudden jump in favor of Joe Biden. But what may sound like Donald Trump Jr. in truth came from Eduardo Bolsonaro, the congressman and third son of a man who has long embraced his “Trump of the Tropics” moniker: Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.

The Washington Times • 5th November 2020

‘Russian aggression’: Sweden to reconstitute armed forces over feared attack

VISBY, Sweden — Sheep, churches and small-town amenities abound on Sweden’s largest island. A sense of geopolitical tension? Not so much. But if Sweden’s political and military leaders are to be believed, Gotland today marks the first line of defense against a foe whose powerful Baltic fleet anchors just 200 miles across the sea.

The Washington Times • 28th October 2020

‘Heartfelt’ views: Latin America watches, weighs in on U.S. election

Americans choosing between President Trump and Vice President Joseph R. Biden on Tuesday will also have a say on what’s next for some 650 million of their neighbors to the South, where the presidential race is a top topic of discussion on screens and around kitchen tables.

The Washington Times • 22nd April 2020

China to the rescue: ‘Mask diplomacy’ aims to win allies in Latin America

BUENOS AIRES — As the coronavirus crisis threatens to overwhelm health care systems and devastate fragile economies across Latin America, China — where the deadly pathogen first emerged — now wants the region to see it as the hero, not the villain, in the fight against the pandemic.

The Washington Times • 6th April 2020

‘Coronavirus denier’: Bolsonaro slow to change rhetoric as deaths from ‘little flu’ increase

BUENOS AIRES — “The collateral damage can’t be worse than the disease. … Our mission is to save lives without neglecting jobs. … Hydroxychloroquine seems pretty effective.” What may sound like a Donald Trump from a month ago was actually Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro last week.

The Washington Times • 12th November 2019

‘Raging ten-alarm fire’: Economic hardship sparks protesters’ rage across Latin America

BUENOS AIRES — The black-market money changers and their cries of “cambio, cambio” resound along Buenos Aires’ famed Florida Street. The return of the cepo, the monthly limit of now just $200 that locals can legally buy with their inflationary pesos, is just one of the signs that Latin American politics from Mexico to Argentina is in a state of flux.

The Washington Times • 24th October 2019

Cristina Fernandez seen pulling the strings as Peronists poised for remarkable rebound

Cristina Fernandez, whose Peronists were kicked to the curb by voters just four years ago, could be on the brink of a remarkable comeback. Ms. Fernandez, who with her late husband, Nestor Kirchner, dominated the Argentine political scene for a dozen years, will be on the ballot Sunday as the vice presidential running mate to Alberto Fernandez, no relation.

The Washington Times • 10th September 2019

'Trump of the Tropics' tests Brazilians' patience as problems persist

His rhetoric is as fiery, his Twitter feed is as divisive and his style is as disruptive as those of the American original. But on substance, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro — the “Trump of the Tropics” — so far has delivered the one thing no one expected: more of the same in trying to tackle the country’s deep-seated problems.

The Washington Times • 13th August 2019

Argentine voters' dashed economic hopes lead to Macri's landslide primary loss

His rejection of politics as usual was the key to his unlikely 2015 victory, but four years down the road, it’s all but certain to make Argentina's Mauricio Macri a one-term president.

The Washington Times • 13th May 2019

Outspoken Mexican president takes surprising approach to Trump

Six months into his first term, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has proved a study in contradictions: pragmatic and ideological, soft-spoken and uncompromising, omnipresent but hard to pin down. But his most unexpected trait has been an almost deferential, soft-touch approach to his American counterpart.

The Washington Times • 16th April 2019

Daniel Ortega crushes protests with Nicaragua crackdown, forces outspoken critic into exile

While the Trump administration and much of the region focus on the smoldering crisis in nearby Venezuela, longtime Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega is taking a page from his leftist allies in Caracas to quash a once-burgeoning protest movement, in a quiet but brutal crackdown that last week forced a prominent bishop into exile.

The Washington Times • 28th March 2019

Mauricio Macri's economic troubles rekindle nostalgia for Cristina Fernandez in Argentina

BUENOS AIRES — Four years ago, Mauricio Macri’s victory over longtime leftist President Cristina Fernandez’s hand-picked successor was supposed to put the first nail in the coffin of Latin America’s “pink tide” populism. But amid stubborn economic malaise, Argentina’s self-styled left — and Ms. Fernandez herself — now seem poised for unexpected resurrection.

The Washington Times • 4th March 2019

Social media, comedy replace news as Maduro's grip on media blacks out turmoil in Venezuela

CARACAS, Venezuela — Turn on the TV or open a paper in New York, London or Buenos Aires these days, and chances are that the latest in the showdown between socialist President Nicolas Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaido will feature prominently, with Mr. Guaido’s return to Venezuela to resume the power struggle Monday just the latest twist in the drama.

The Washington Times • 3rd March 2019

Health care crisis killing Venezuelans amid Maduro vs. Guaido power struggle

CARACAS, Venezuela — For Venezuela’s dueling presidents, Nicolas Maduro and Juan Guaido, this month’s tug of war over humanitarian aid shipments is a test of loyalties and political power. For thousands of their countrymen, meanwhile, it’s a matter of life and death.

The Washington Times • 26th February 2019

Maria Corina Machado: ‘There’s no turning around’

In 2005, Maria Corina Machado infuriated Venezuela's Hugo Chavez when she met with President George W. Bush in the Oval Office. Almost 14 years later, the 51-year-old leader of the center-right Vente Venezuela party is in the thick of the fight against Chavez’s socialist protege and successor, President Nicolas Maduro, amid talk she may be eyeing a run for the presidency.

The Washington Times • 26th February 2019

'Foreign intervention?' Juan Guaido says Venezuela 'open to all options' to remove Nicolas Maduro

CARACAS, Venezuela — When supporters of Venezuelan socialist President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday set fire to trucks bringing in humanitarian aid from Colombia, the country’s long-battered opposition braced — for a minute — for yet another crushing defeat. Then, interim President Juan Guaido upped the ante.

The Washington Times • 13th February 2019

Nicolas Maduro ouster stalls as military fails to rally around opposition leader Juan Guaido

BUENOS AIRES — With hopes fading for a quick and bloodless resolution to the continent’s biggest crisis, South America’s leading powers are increasingly spooked by the stalemate in Venezuela. The apparent failure of Venezuela’s military to rally around opposition leader Juan Guaido’s call that it no longer recognizes socialist President Nicolas Maduro as the country’s rightful leader.

The Washington Times • 27th January 2019

'Brazil's Trump' off to rocky start on domestic front

BUENOS AIRES — An inauguration fraught with controversy. Executive actions to limit immigration. A Cabinet filled with generals. Judging just by his first three weeks as president, Jair Bolsonaro was right to embrace his moniker as “Brazil’s Trump.”

The Washington Times • 24th January 2019

Juan Guaido wins support of Venezuela youth with age, vigor and Twitter outreach

BUENOS AIRES — When Lt. Col. Hugo Chavez first tried to overthrow Venezuela’s democratically elected president in 1992, Juan Guaido was 8 years old. Fast-forward a few decades, and the youthfulness of Mr. Guaido is one of the key attributes setting him apart from others who tried — and failed — to end the dictatorship led by Nicolas Maduro, Mr. Chavez’s successor.