Between Two Lists: Who Gets Counted After Disaster?
Winning Submission
of the 2026 High School Essay Competition
Americas
La Sangre de Los Ángeles: Testimony of MS-13 and Transnational Gang Violence from El Salvador to Los Angeles
When Orbelina fled El Salvador’s civil war for Los Angeles in 1985, she believed she was escaping violence. Instead, across generations of her family, she witnessed the same patterns of disappearance, gang violence, and impunity reemerge as MS-13 grew from a neighbourhood gang into a transnational symbol of violence and belonging.
La Grieta and Milei
Luciana Abecasis, an Argentine mother of two children, lives in the small city of Reconquista. For her, Javier Milei’s presidency reflects a shift from what she calls an “artificial economy,” an economy with heavy government intervention, to what she sees as a more honest one—a capitalist economy. Among Argentines, many share this perception.
When Oil Became Political in Venezuela
“I never worked in the oil industry, but oil decided I had to leave.”
Eddy, who asked to only be identified by his first name, once worked as a swimming coach in Venezuela and now lives in the Dominican Republic. He didn’t leave out of choice, but out of necessity.
In the Face of Trump, Brazil Convicts Bolsonaro—But Is It Truly Protecting Democracy?
On August 1st, 2025, Alexandre de Moraes, Vice President of the Brazilian Supreme Court, awoke to find his visa revoked, his assets frozen, and his family and holding company targeted by similar sanctions.
A Woman’s Place: The Race for Mexico’s First Female President
Classrooms are now tense encampments for student protestors at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), one of the most prestigious universities in Mexico. Marisa Belausteguigoitia, a full-time lecturer at UNAM whose research focuses on collective young feminist protestors, shared that…
Ghosts of Colonialism: Unrest and Political Identity in Peru
“We have been getting killed from the very beginning,” Clara Mongé said, reflecting on contemporary Peru from her home in Delray Beach, FL. She left her native country decades ago, but her walls still display a colorful blend of Spanish…
Rechazo: Why Chile Rejected a Progressive Constitution
Last month, Chile resoundingly voted down a constitution that would have protected a multitude of civil rights. What went wrong?