Hemisphere Highlights, Volume VIII, Issue 1 - January 2009

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton brings up an “energy partnership of the Americas” in her confirmation hearing. The official opposition party in Canada agrees to support the 2009 budget, ending speculation over the formation of a coalition government. Campaigns begin in Mexico for the July 2009 congressional elections. St. Kitts and Nevis reintroduces capital punishment in an effort to crack down on rising levels of violent crime. The FMLN opposition party in El Salvador surpasses the ruling  Arena party as the largest in the legislature after January’s legislative elections. Bolivia passes a new constitution in a national referendum on January 25. New nominations to the new supreme court in Paraguay make it the first court in 61 years not dominated by justices from the Colorado party. The government of Argentina begins to position itself politically for October’s mid-term congressional elections, and the country makes progress in prosecuting war crimes committed during the Dirty War.