For a country synonymous with a culture of machismo, gauchos (cowboys) and a dance deeply rooted in traditional male-female dominant- submissive roles, the tango, Argentina is surprisingly leading the way for gender and sexual equality or LGBT rights in Latin America.

By Diego Cupolo

Today, as Cajamarca remains one of the poorest regions in Peru even after 20 years of gold extraction, Seifert poses the question: If Europe can modernize its mining techniques and limit environmental degradation, why can’t Peru? “When the strategy and tactics are unclear, little can be achieved by social movements. Newmont defends private investment and the people defend their water. Up until now, there has been no bridge of understanding between the two.”

“Here in Ecuador,” he continued. “We have more corruption than we have money. That’s the truth and that’s why life is so expensive for the rest of us, those of us without brothers in the government.” After so many years of injustice, faith can sometimes feel like a foreign language in Latin America. GSDM Latin America Editor Diego Cupolo's travel diary.

By Victoria Greaves

We, in the international community, want to believe that development is possible and human rights can be respected, but we must ask ourselves: whose interests do we actually represent? And hearing from local people in the developing world reveals that even positive movements, like environmentalism, can have devastating results.