Author Description

The purpose of this publication is to take stock on recent social, political and economic developments in Latin America. It seeks to present a broad look of the region, identify trends despite its heterogeneity and propose future trends. Latin America's current situation is marked by political extremism, the erosion or collapse of democratic institutions, economic stagnation in some countries, and a reversal of the social improvements of the early 21st century. "Unfulfilled Promises" proposes a multifaceted explanation to understand the drivers behind this challenging context. It is intended for all audiences and underlines research, social movements, political debates, and policymaking across the hemisphere. It highlights the region's aims and aspirations, but also the many obstacles that stand in the way of sustained progress. Latin America's story is one of great achievements and hard-won progress, combined with frequent setbacks and frustrations. This publication analyzes Latin America's present through six essays, written by some of the top regional experts on their fields: Rule of Law (Catalina Botero), Crime and Violence (Robert Muggah), Economic Management (Augusto de la Torre and Alan Ize), Social Development (George Gray Molina), Regional Integration (Ana Covarrubias) and Latin America and the World (Andrés Malamud). Former president of Costa Rica and current co-chair of the Dialogue, Laura Chinchilla, wrote the introductory chapter.