Brian Winter calls himself an optimist when it comes to Latin America.

He's covered the region for decades.

These days, he's editor of America's Quarterly.

But after the first few weeks of 2023, I am struggling with that optimism because I worry

sometimes that I hear myself talk about the two thousands and it almost sounds like an

aging rock band playing its greatest hits.

You're like those are the good old days.

Exactly.

No, it sounds like you're sitting on your front porch rocking chair waxing philosophical

about when times were good.

Back in the early 2000s, when Brian was living first in Argentina, then Brazil, people were

talking about the Latin American decade.

Local economies were booed by commodities prices and local political races were getting

more democratic.

Now, Brian looks at the region and sees anti-government protests getting violent in both Peru and

Brazil.

In Chile, voters are duking it out over a new constitution and polls reveal democracy

is taking a beating.

If you've told Brian two decades ago that hundreds of people would storm Brazil's capital, entering

Congress, the Supreme Court and the presidential palace, the way they did on January 8th, he

might not have believed you.

I started getting WhatsApp messages that preferred Brazilian form of communication.

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