AMLO ups spending, favoring the middle class and the military; Uruguay’s financial stability attracts investment—and crime follows; Peru’s democratic backsliding is passing the point of no return.

Forget regional integration. Basic diplomacy will remain an uphill battle until the region’s leaders return to a shared definition of democracy.

The sprawling U.S. water system is central to the nation’s economy, but chronic underinvestment, increasing demand, and the consequences of climate change have revealed the system’s weaknesses.