Editor's Note A M E R I C A S c4a89a

For the IRR’s 27th issue, the Americas section unravels the lasting impacts of colonialism and corruption on the agency and vitality of local communities in Latin America and the Caribbean. With unique insights into the power dynamics dictating disaster relief, investment, and climate change mitigation efforts, our writers delve into questions of decolonization, democratic transparency, and decentralization.

Elio Rodriguez-Zeda confronts the lasting legacy of Puerto Rico’s colonial relationship to the United States and the marginalization of Puerto Ricans from participating in the law-making process that both commands their economy and fails to include them. Disenfranchised and left with a derelict power grid, Puerto Rico is continuously devastated by economic travails punctuated with seasonal, disastrous hurricanes. Morgan Cleary delves into the implications of Chinese foreign direct investment in Guyana’s oil sector, illuminating the need for government transparency to combat corruption and reinvest funds back into Guyanese communities. Beaujena Stoyanchev explores community-led conservation efforts in Mexico and Guatemala as a way for Indigenous communities to reclaim power over natural resources and to decentralize forest management.

It is with much gratitude and appreciation that I introduce these pieces. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the Americas section, as well as to the journal as a whole. We hope you enjoy these perspectives on power.

MAECY NIKSCH, CAS '23

Senior Editor, Americas