Guatemala: A Revival of Hope
By Laura Carlsen On August 20, Guatemalans achieved a victory they didn’t expect from the polls—wresting control out of the hands of a powerful elite that had imposed increasingly authoritarian rule over 17 million people, among the most impoverished in…
Governing with the People
This analysis piece weighs the achievements, opportunities and limitations for women’s rights in Honduras. Xiomara Castro’s presidency in Honduras on November 28, 2021 marked a series of firsts for Honduras. She’s the first woman to become president. As the candidate…
Guatemala Faces a Critical Juncture
* Photograph credit: Saul Martinez/ Reuters By Laura Carlsen, Edited by the JASS Mesoamérica Team Guatemala is teetering on the brink following the surprising results of the first round of elections on June 25, where the ruling group saw its…
International Women’s Day in Mexico City: A mega-march against the patriarchy
By Laura Carlsen The International Women's Day march in Mexico City was one of the largest in the world in recent years. After receding during the pandemic, the traditional mobilisation returned in 2023 stronger than ever—and changed with the…
Laura Zúniga Cáceres
Laura Zúniga Cáceres is from La Esperanza, Intibucá, Honduras. Since her adolescence, she has participated in youth, communication and popular education spaces in her community. After the coup détat in Honduras, she migrated to Argentina where she participated in youth…
Fabiola Villarreal
Fabiola is a Nicaraguan woman with over 15 years’ experience in international development. A social communications graduate, who initially started her career as a journalist, Fabiola recently completed her MBA, specializing in organizational management. She has worked in national, regional…
Belkis Alicia Lopez Navarro
Belkis is a professional with solid experience of more than 34 years as former Director of the AFS in Honduras, in education and intercultural learning, administrative management of non-profit associations that work with volunteers and exchange programs. She has a…
Aída Fernández
Aída is a Guatemalan feminist who began her profession as a sociologist, working in research and local organisations that allowed her to work deeply with rural communities. She lived in a community of internally displaced people for a year to…
