South American Nations Research Articles

When populists meet: presidential diplomacy and foreign policy in Latin America

In the 2000s, the literature depicted Brazil as an emerging power and a regional leader. From time to time, Venezuela was presented as a potential contender. Fast-forward to today: Venezuela endures economic bankruptcy and demographic collapse, whereas Brazil looks internally divided and much diminished on the international scene. Whatever happened? This article argues that the emergence of these South American states was an illusion created by presidential activism and ostentatious summitry, as presidents seized a commodity windfall to make the case for greater power status and regional agency. Once the windfall ended, successor presidents were unable to deliver on what their antecessors had oversold. The rise of the Venezuelan-sponsored Bolivarian Alternative for the Peoples of the Americas and the fall of the Brazilian-promoted Union of South American Nations are examples of the weakness of interpresidentialist region building, as populist presidents like Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez and Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro contributed either to capriciously devise or abruptly terminate regional arrangements.

Evaluating efficiency of green innovations and renewables for sustainability goals

Understanding the efficiency dynamics of green innovations is essential for advancing sustainable economic systems. This study evaluates the efficiency of forty-two countries in producing and utilizing green innovations for clean energy production and in achieving sustainable development goals from 2000 to 2020. Employing a network bias-corrected data envelopment analysis (DEA) and Malmquist productivity analysis, this study explores the adoption of green technology and its effects on economic and environmental efficiency. Findings reveal limited progress in clean energy efficiency across most countries, indicating suboptimal use of green innovations for the goals of affordable and clean energy and climate action). The results show that the efficiency pattern of green innovations follows a U-shaped curve, with initial inefficiencies followed by long-term gains. South American nations and the European Union demonstrate strong performance in integrating green technologies. However, green innovations alone appear insufficient; supportive policies, such as green taxes on emissions and renewable energy initiatives, are crucial for enhancing impact and achieving environmental sustainability.

Cheers to anxiety: Granger causality insights on alcohol consumption patterns across 13 South American countries.

The relationship between alcohol consumption and mental health is complex; drinking may exacerbate anxiety, and in turn, anxiety can lead to excessive drinking. This study explores the relationship betweenalcoholconsumption patterns including wine, beer, and spirits,and anxiety prevalence in selected 13 South American nations. This study utilises secondary data spanning 29years from 1991 to 2019 obtained from the Our World in Data database. It investigates the causal link between the prevalence of anxiety and alcohol consumption in the selected countries using the Granger causality test. Anxiety was found to have a unidirectional effect on wine and beer consumption in Chile, Suriname, Uruguay, and Trinidad and Tobago. Additionally, drinking alcohol consumption appears to impact anxiety levels in Brazil. Argentina demonstrates a bidirectional relationshipbetween anxiety and all three types of alcohol consumption, with similar patterns observed in Brazil (wine and beer), Chile (spirits), and Paraguay (spirits). No significant causal relationships for alcohol consumption patterns were found in other nations. The identified Granger causal links follow four distinct directions in this study. These findings provide valuable insights for policymakers, governments, and international investors for informed decision-making regarding regulation and policy tools.

Influence of moral reasoning and environmental concern on sustainable food consumption behaviors: A gender comparison among university students

Currently, South American countries face social and environmental challenges that can be addressed through the transformation of food purchasing and preparation patterns. This study aims to enhance comprehension regarding personal factors influencing sustainable food consumption, by examining the impact of moral reasoning and environmental concern on this behavior. The responses of 233 Chilean university students to an online self-report survey were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling. The results have shown that moral reasoning and environmental concern positively impact sustainable food consumption behaviors, such as opting for food with minimal packaging, conserving energy during cooking, and repurposing food waste. Additionally, significant gender differences in these effects were observed. These novel findings provide further evidence supporting the necessity of bolstering moral education and environmental consciousness to foster the adoption of sustainable food consumption practices among university students in developing South American nations. Furthermore, the results underscore the importance of considering gender distinctions in education, particularly in light of entrenched family and societal roles.

Hero's Legacy: Martial Strength and Race in Republican Chile

This article examines the Roto Chileno war memorial in downtown Santiago as a complex site of Chilean identity making in the republican era. Conflating two separate nineteenth-century military victories over the combined forces of Bolivia and Peru, the memorial was a physical manifestation of an intricate process of identity construction that celebrated the mestizo heritage of average citizen-soldiers while also emphasizing the idea that Chileans were racially superior compared to other South American nations. The memorial being dedicated specifically to the roto, a mutable racialized term that can be perceived as pejorative even in the present, is therefore an especially evocative example of how this conceptual combination was visually rendered to access elements of white identity. Using fine art media coverage, this article highlights the entangled relationship between memory, nationalism, and race in late nineteenth-century Latin America to consider the role that militarism and masculinity play in the construction of whiteness.

RETRACTED: Decarbonizing progress: Exploring the nexus of renewable energy, digital economy, and economic development in South American countries

Examining the relationship between green energy, the digital economy, and economic advancement in eighteen South American nations, the study used the Principal Component Factor (PCF) approach. A Green Energy Transition Index (GETI) and a Digital Economy Index (DEI) were developed as a consequence of this study. Confirmation of the large influence of switching to green energy on economic development and environmental sustainability is provided by the research's use of Fixed Effect Panel Threshold Regression (FEPTR) analysis. In today's global industrial value chain, hydrocarbons are the main source of energy. As a result, it hastened the decarburization of the world energy system to lower the noteworthy quantities of CO2 emissions from these sources. All quantile groups' economic development is strongly impacted by the digital economy and the move to green energy, according to the Methodology of instants of quantile regression (MMQR). The only element that positively impacts environmental sustainability across all quantile groups is the switch to Green energy. Reducing CO2 emissions and increasing economic development are characteristics of the low-quantile group. While the median quantile group does see a decrease in carbon dioxide emissions, economic growth remains stagnant.

Preliminary Phytochemicals Investigation in Begonia cucullata

People specifically or by implication profited of plants. Begonia cucullata, a perpetual blooming plant taxonomically considered to the family of Begoniaceae. Begonia cucullata is local to the all South American nations. In India found in Assam, Meghalaya and Manipur. The shade dried plant powder was taken for extraction through organic solvents like petroleum ether, chloroform, methanol and water extract. The Biochemicals investigation is performed by taking after standard methods. Primary phytoconstituents investigation of the plant extract indicated the existence of carbohydrates, glycosides, flavonoids, phytosterols, and saponins in methanol and watery extricate. The plant extricate of methanol and refined water have appeared most extreme positive tests for Phytochemicals, which clearly shows that the existence of a few dynamic standards within the plant that are having vital restorative esteem.

Evaluating sustainable efficiency: A study on transportation systems in South America using data envelopment analysis

The transport sector is pivotal in fostering economic growth and environmental sustainability. Extensive research has scrutinized various transportation modes individually, yet a holistic assessment encompassing all modes while considering CO2 emissions needs to be more conspicuously present. Our study employs Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to evaluate the efficacy of transportation policies in South American nations in the context of United Nations-established sustainable development goals. Our overarching objective is to classify the sustainability status of South American countries' transport sectors and to establish benchmark models rooted in the six dimensions of sustainability. Methodologically, our analysis integrates operational transportation metrics, Gross Domestic Product per capita, Human Development Index, and CO2 emissions from transportation systems. Additionally, we draw comparative insights by juxtaposing South American countries against the G8 and BRICS nations. The rigorous application of DEA coupled with bootstrap validation fortifies the reliability of our findings. Our results bring to light these findings, positioning South American countries closer to their developed counterparts. Notably, the sustainable development models of Chile and Uruguay emerge as prominent exemplars. This study underscores the pressing demand for holistic and integrated development strategies to attain more sustainable outcomes across South American nations in a faster way. In conclusion, our research fills a conspicuous void in the extant literature by furnishing a comprehensive evaluation of transportation policy performance in South America. Based on a robust methodology, this empirical evidence offers valuable insights for policymakers striving to advance sustainable regional development.

Assessment of flood mitigation strategy based on integrated approach of remote sensing and coastal vulnerability geospatial modeling at the coastal plain of Suriname

Suriname is the smallest South American nation with a low-lying coastal plain that is vulnerable to inundation from the Atlantic Ocean and inland rivers, as well as pluvial flooding primarily due to rainfall. Paramaribo, the capital of Suriname, has the highest population density, and its demographics extend into the surrounding districts of Wanica and Commewijne. Suriname has experienced flood disasters almost annually, which has exacerbated in recent years, posing a significant socioeconomic challenge. The country must balance the need for flood disaster adaptation and climate resilience with the potential impact on its resources and well-being of settlement areas. Policymakers and other stakeholders are working to address environmental impacts on the coast, but there is still a need for a comprehensive approach to monitor and manage flood impacts. This research has three objectives. The first is to analyze flood frequency events from 2021 to 2023 using multi-temporal satellite image processing from Sentinel-1 SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar). The second is to generate a Coastal Flood Vulnerability Index (CFVI) for floods using a geospatial multi-criteria analysis approach based on exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity components. The third objective is to assess the mitigation strategy for floods in settlement areas based on an integrated analysis of CFVI and stakeholder perception. The research methodology uses a multi-criteria analysis regarding settlement areas and ranking each component by expert opinion in an equation derived from Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment report at district level. The CFVI indices rely on secondary data acquisition from national and global datasets or referenced works. Interviews were conducted to better understand the stakeholder’s perspectives that are at a strategic or governing level, and to evaluate the existence of flood early-warning and other adaptation capabilities. A flood mitigation strategy is then suggested for the most vulnerable district by CFVI score.

Classification of Guava Leaf Disease using Deep Learning

A higher percentage of crops are affected by diseases, posing a challenge to agricultural production. It is possible to increase productivity by detecting and forecasting diseases early. Guava is a fruit grown in tropical and subtropical countries such as Chad, Pakistan, India, and South American nations. Guava trees can suffer from a variety of ailments, including Canker, Dot, Mummification, and Rust. A diagnosis based only on visual observation is unreliable and time-consuming. To help farmers identify plant diseases in their early stages, an automated diagnosis and prediction system is necessary. Therefore, we developed a deep learning method for classifying and forecasting guava leaf diseases. We investigated a dataset composed of 1834 leaf examples, separated into five categories. We trained the dataset using four different and generally preferred pre-trained CNN architectures. The EfficinetNet-B3 architecture outperformed the other three architectures, achieving 94.93% accuracy on the test data. The results ensure that deep learning methods are more successful and reliable than traditional methods.

International comparison of gaming disorder symptomatology: Analysis of Ithra’s 30-nation digital wellbeing survey.

Gaming disorder prevalence varies greatly between nations and world regions. However, much of the multinational comparative research relies upon analysis of pooled studies in the form of metanalytic reviews. Few studies have compared international gaming disorder prevalence within the same analysis, using common timeframes, samples and measures. The present study addresses this gap, examining gaming disorder symptomatology and its socio-demographic correlates across 30 countries. Participants (N = 15,000) were representative adult samples (N = 500) drawn from 30 nations. All participants provided socio-demographic data and completed a measure of gaming disorder symptoms. Gaming disorder prevalence varied widely between nations. Linear mixed models identified several correlates, including age, gender, parenthood and education. Even after controlling for demographic variables, marked differences in national-level gaming disorder remained, with Asian and Middle Eastern nations (India, Turkey, China, UAE, Singapore) at the high end, and South and Central American nations (Columbia, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina) at the low end. Possible explanation for this nation-level variability are discussed. These findings can help inform policy initiatives to reduce and prevent gaming disorder.

Venezuela's Crisis: A Multifaceted Examination of Economic, Political, and Humanitarian Challenges

Venezuela's ongoing crisis has garnered international attention and concern due to its multifaceted nature. This article delves into the complex web of economic, political, and humanitarian challenges that have plagued the South American nation in recent years. It aims to provide an in-depth analysis of the factors contributing to Venezuela's crisis and its impact on both the country's population and the global community. The economic mismanagement, political turmoil, and humanitarian suffering in Venezuela have created a crisis with far-reaching implications for regional stability and international relations. This article underscores the urgency of finding a sustainable solution to Venezuela's crisis to alleviate the suffering of its citizens and restore stability to the nation, emphasizing the importance of international cooperation and diplomatic efforts in this endeavor.

CO2 Emissions in Air Transport: A Comparative Study Using Data Envelopment Analysis

The international community has been actively addressing the issue of reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, as evidenced by various initiatives such as Rio 92, Rio +20, the Paris Agreement, and the 2030 Agenda. These endeavors aim to promote sustainability worldwide. While air transport accounts for only 2% of anthropogenic CO2 emissions, its projected growth has spurred the exploration of new technologies to enhance aircraft efficiency. Consequently, further studies are necessary to assess the efficiency and impact of air transport on CO2 emissions in most countries. A methodology utilizing data envelopment analysis (DEA) is proposed in this study for this purpose. This methodology correlates the structure and annual air movement of 21 countries with CO2 production, considering it an undesirable output. The clustering method establishes the relationship between DEA efficiency, the number of airports, air traffic movements (landings and take-offs), and annual economic factors such as gross domestic product in these countries. Additionally, a regression analysis is conducted to examine the influence of air transport on CO2 emissions from transport systems. The findings reveal that the U.S. and China exhibit low efficiency as outliers because of their significant economic disparities. Other countries are grouped based on economic similarities, with South American nations such as Colombia and Chile showing lower air traffic movement efficiency compared with economically powerful European countries such as the UK and Germany. However, the impact of air transportation variables on CO2 emissions remains substantial.

Unveiling the environmental efficiency puzzle: Insights from global green innovations

The latest surge of global uncertainty and disruptions in global supply networks put policymakers under pressure to emprise green innovations as a vital tool to address environmental concerns. However, producing green innovations doesn't always help in achieving environment-related sustainable development goals. Therefore, in this study, we endeavour to investigate to what extent green innovations are efficient in improving environmental efficiency. To this end, a network bias-corrected data envelopment analysis and clustering analysis is applied. The data used in this study covers 42 countries from different regions, spanning from 2000 to 2020. The results reveal that most countries have not made major advancements in environmental efficiency signifying the low level of green innovations utilization to achieve environment-related sustainable development goals (SDGs). Additionally, the results demonstrate a U efficiency curve for inputs-oriented green innovations efficiency over time, indicating that the initial stages of green innovations production are associated with a decreased return. However, over time, the efficiency exhibits an upward trend. The benchmarking analysis reveals that South American and European Union nations set the bar for other countries in terms of efficiently leveraging green innovations to achieve SDGs. Our findings also suggest that environmental efficiency is more dependent on green-supporting policies such as green energy production and green taxes. As a result, we conclude that achieving environmental SDGs while utilizing green innovations does not always result in the development of other SDGs. Therefore, policymakers need to prioritize pursuing a green developmental approach and supporting policies to achieve environment-related SDGs and other SDGs.

COVID-19 and government trust: A spiral of silence analysis in South America

The COVID-19 pandemic has uncovered prejudices, systemic inequities and critical feelings about governmental institutions around the globe. Since the start of the pandemic, the 12 nations that make up South America have had more than 67 million cases and 1.3 million fatalities. Public trust in and willingness to speak out about government responses to COVID-19 in each nation have differed vastly. Using spiral of silence, this study ( n = 1248) explored support for governmental COVID-19 response and willingness to speak out about that response in four South American nations: Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Peru. Results revealed Chileans are more likely to speak out on government response to COVID-19 than other South American participants. In addition, climate of opinion and support for government response positively predict willingness to speak. These results further our international and cross-cultural understanding of spiral of silence.

The politics of legitimation in combined sanction regimes: the case of Venezuela

Abstract Regional international organizations (RIOs) and states are increasingly sanctioning governments, firms and individuals they consider to have violated international norms. How do different RIOs legitimize the decision to impose (or not impose) sanctions? And how do they react to the legitimation strategies of other RIOs and states? This article addresses these questions by analysing the legitimation strategies of the United States and four RIOs involved in the combined sanction regimes against Venezuela between 2014 and 2019: the Organization of American States, the Union of South American Nations, the Common Market of the South and the European Union. Refining the environment-based perspective on legitimation, the article proposes that combined sanction regimes work as environments that shape the legitimation strategies of senders not only by providing templates to emulate but also by triggering processes of differentiation. The article shows how Latin American RIOs adapted their legitimation strategies dynamically in reaction to changes in the strategies of Washington and Brussels. This process, however, was not unidirectional. When Latin American RIOs managed to articulate coherent strategies, they forced Washington and Brussels to recalibrate their own positions and engage in discursive legitimation processes as well.

Four ways blue foods can help achieve food system ambitions across nations

Blue foods, sourced in aquatic environments, are important for the economies, livelihoods, nutritional security and cultures of people in many nations. They are often nutrient rich1, generate lower emissions and impacts on land and water than many terrestrial meats2, and contribute to the health3, wellbeing and livelihoods of many rural communities4. The Blue Food Assessment recently evaluated nutritional, environmental, economic and justice dimensions of blue foods globally. Here we integrate these findings and translate them into four policy objectives to help realize the contributions that blue foods can make to national food systems around the world: ensuring supplies of critical nutrients, providing healthy alternatives to terrestrial meat, reducing dietary environmental footprints and safeguarding blue food contributions to nutrition, just economies and livelihoods under a changing climate. To account for how context-specific environmental, socio-economic and cultural aspects affect this contribution, we assess the relevance of each policy objective for individual countries, and examine associated co-benefits and trade-offs at national and international scales. We find that in many African and South American nations, facilitating consumption of culturally relevant blue food, especially among nutritionally vulnerable population segments, could address vitamin B12 and omega-3 deficiencies. Meanwhile, in many global North nations, cardiovascular disease rates and large greenhouse gas footprints from ruminant meat intake could be lowered through moderate consumption of seafood with low environmental impact. The analytical framework we provide also identifies countries with high future risk, for whom climate adaptation of blue food systems will be particularly important. Overall the framework helps decision makers to assess the blue food policy objectives most relevant to their geographies, and to compare and contrast the benefits and trade-offs associated with pursuing these objectives.

Latin American Integration against the Backdrop of a Conservative Wave: Between Irrelevance and the Search for New Meanings

The evolution of regionalism in Latin America has historically been greatly influenced by changes in governments and their ideological programs. In this article, looking at the courses of the administrations of Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil, Ivan Duque in Colombia, Sebastian Piñera (second term, 2018-2022) in Chile, Mario Abdo Benítez in Paraguay, it is proposed to examine transformations in integration against the backdrop of increased influence of right-wing forces in regional alignments in the mid-2010s to the early 2020s. Analyzing foreign policy steps, rhetoric, content of conceptual documents, the authors focus on the peculiarities of the national views of various right forces on integration initiatives. The paper concentrates on the decline of Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) and Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), creation of Forum for the Progress and Integration of South America (PROSUR) and Lima Group, activities of the Pacific Alliance and Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) in the context of the demand for flexible and pragmatic integration “without politicization.” The authors come to several conclusions which show ambiguity of the right turn impact on the integration landscape in Latin America. First, although the rise of liberal-conservative forces has reformatted philosophy, key ideas of integration, participation in multilateral groups remains important for governments that seek to solve pressing problems and expand their own reputational and political capital with its help. Second, despite the fluidity of electoral dynamics, which may soon put an end to the dominance of the right, they have raised a number of issues of long-term relevance in the context of the future path of integration associations in the region. The contribution of the work is explained by its appeal to the very factor of ideology in the development of Latin American integration, detailed analysis of specific country experiences and new conclusions based on it.

Review: The Princess and the Prophet: The Secret History of Magic, Race, and Moorish Muslims in America, by Jacob S. Dorman

Review: <i>The Princess and the Prophet: The Secret History of Magic, Race, and Moorish Muslims in America</i>, by Jacob S. Dorman

Awareness Of Medicinal Effects of Tamarindus Indica Among Dental Students

Introduction: Tamarindus indica L also recognized as Tamarind is a common plant species in the Indian subcontinent. Tamarind derivatives are widely used in Asia, african and south american nations as medical treatments. In ancient indian medicine and african traditional medicine ,tamarind ingredients, seeds, fruits , and leaves have been commonly used.Aim : The study aimed to assess knowledge amongst dental students of the medicinal effects of Tamarindus indica.Materials and method: A cross-sectional analysis with a self-administered questionnaire was performed, with Ten questions distributed among 100 dental students. In medical applications, the questionnaire measured understanding of Tamarindus indica treatment, its anti inflammatory properties, anti-lipedemic properties, anti-pyretic activity, and its phytocompound action mechanism. We reported and evaluated the responses.Results: 21% of the respondents were aware of the medicinal applications of Tamarindus indica therapy.15% were aware of the anti inflammatory of Tamarindus indica therapy. 13% were aware of the anti lipedemic activity of Tamarindus indica therapy.10% were aware of the anti pyretic activity of Tamarindus indica therapy.8% were aware of the mechanism of action of phytocompounds of Tamarindus indica therapy.Conclusion: There is limited awareness amongst dental students about the use of Tamarindus indica therapy in medicinal applications. Increased awareness campaigns and dental education initiatives coupled with increased value for curriculum changes will further improve knowledge and understanding of Tamarindus indica therapy.