U.S. diplomacy

Dean Hinton died at his home in Escazú after a long and distinguished diplomatic career.

Telecom tycoon Mario López Estrada “is the most powerful actor that could have supported [Otto Pérez Molina] at the moment,” Nómada Director Martín Rodríguez tells The Tico Times. “That’s why he refuses to step down and is being so confrontational.” Meanwhile, Guatemalans call for a boycott of Tigo. And the plot thickens...

The late U.S. diplomat and strategist George Kennan is remembered as the creator of the doctrine of “containment,” which formed the centerpiece of the United States’ policy for waging the Cold War. But Kennan was also among the key architects of another U.S. grand strategy: the “dominance and discipline” approach toward Latin America. While less discussed, the latter strategy has long outlasted the Cold War. Fortunately, this may finally be changing, thanks to U.S. President Barack Obama.

The move came after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro lashed out Saturday at U.S. "conspiracies" against his socialist government and ordered his foreign ministry to reduce the number of officials at the U.S. Embassy from 100 to 17.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro also singled out several U.S. political figures as being unable to come to Venezuela because his government considered them "terrorists."

"Today's announcement takes us one step closer to replacing out-of-date policies that were not working and puts in place a policy that helps promote political and economic freedom for the Cuban people," U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said Thursday.

The U.S. embassy in Haiti urged the Caribbean country's politicians Sunday to find a solution to the political crisis that will soon see its parliament's mandate end, leaving a perilous political vacuum.

It took six years and months of secret negotiations, but on Wednesday, President Barack Obama finally delivered on a pledge that cuts to the heart of his foreign policy. It's a view of the world that emphasizes pragmatism over ideology, engaging enemies rather than isolating them and setting aside historic grievances in order to reshape the future.