Peru’s presidential elections are shaping up as a four-way race of familiar faces with major consequences for the country’s reformist path, writes CFR’s Joel Hirst.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is pushing through a series of laws that will effectively quell legal means to opposition, a move that Washington must challenge, says CFR’s Joel Hirst.

Violence between rival Shiite factions has raised concerns that Iraq’s weak government is facing prolonged political upheaval.