Former Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos is favored to win against ex-Mayor of Bogota Antanas Mockus in Colombia's second round of presidential elections on June 20.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Barbados to support the recent launch of the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative. The agreement, proposed last year by U.S. President Barack Obama, provides funds for anti-corruption and counternarcotics operations in 15 Caribbean countries.
At the 40th OAS General Assembly hosted by Peru this week, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged Honduras' readmission into the OAS. She traveled on to Quito, where she delivered remarks on the shared U.S.-Latin American responsibility to boost social inclusion in the Americas.
"As with the outcome at the last OAS General Assembly, some artful diplomacy could produce a positive step that will finally—for the good of regional diplomacy and Honduras—help to move this process along," writes AS/COA's Christopher Sabatini, discussing the forthcoming meeting of regional heads in Peru. Honduras' readmission prospects into the bloc are expected to take center stage during talks.
Recent civil unrest in Jamaica raised concerns about the goverment's ability to tackle criminal gangs and drug lords. Experts disagree on the prime minister’s future political prospects in the wake of turmoil in Tivoli Gardens sparked by the search for kingpin Christopher Coke.
Former Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos won more than twice the votes of his main rival in Colombia's May 30 elections, but fell short of gaining the simple majority needed to avoid a runoff. Santos and the Green Party's Antanas Mockus compete for the presidency in a second round on June 20.
The AS/COA Energy Action Group's new working paper explores the transformation of Peru’s oil and gas sector from an industry in decline to a major contributor for economic growth in Peru. The paper makes several recommendations based on Peru’s experience but intended for broader hemispheric consideration.
Following a rare meeting between Cuban President Raúl Castro and Roman Catholic Church leaders, reports revealed that the Cuban government agreed to transfer political prisoners to jails closer to their hometowns and to move sick prisoners to hospitals.
Un Techo Para Mi País' Claudio Castro writes about the organization's work in Haiti, where construction of transitional houses and the establishment of social inclusion programs—carried out under Haitian leadership—is helping to rebuild the country. View a slideshow of Un Techo's programs in Haiti and Chile.
The Green Party's Antanas Mockus and the U Party's Juan Manuel Santos are neck and neck in Colombia's presidential race, according to polls released ahead of May 30 elections. Neither is expected to win the needed absolute majority, making a June 20 runoff likely.
In order to strengthen the rule of law and foster social peace in crime-ridden and insecure communities, steps must be taken "to develop the institutional and physical infrastructure to integrate deprived communities into the nation state and the legal market economy," writes AS/COA's Christopher Sabatini in an article for The Huffington Post.
President of Mexico Felipe Calderón travels to Washington this week amidst ongoing security worries and rising U.S. tensions over immigration. But experts say the meeting also provides a chance to boost bilateral relations and cooperation.
"Rather than working with the United States, Europe, and the other BRIC nations to build a more secure global environment, Lula's gambit risks enabling an outcome that could dramatically heighten regional and indeed global tensions," writes COA's Eric Farnsworth, discussing the Brazilian President's trip to Iran.
As Brazil seeks to increase its clout on the global stage, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva traveled to Tehran this weekend to play a role in a deal that would see Iran deposit nuclear fuel in Turkey. But the deal is unlikely to curtail a push for further sanctions on Iran.
In the second in a three-part series of new gateway city working papers, AS/COA looks at immigrants' economic contributions in Omaha and examines how the private and public sectors are working to promote Latinos' socioeconomic integration.
In an article for Poder magazine, COA Vice President Eric Farnsworth looks at David Rockefeller's lifelong commitment to democracy, cooperation, and development in the Americas.
South American leaders convened in Buenos Aires May 4 to cover issues ranging from immigration to regional integration.
Laura Chinchilla takes the reins in Costa Rica on May 8. The country's first female president initiated her policy agenda beforehand, naming ministers and touring Central America to promote regional unity and security.
The signing of SB 1070 in Arizona threatens the ability of all Latinos to integrate into the state’s workforce and communities and is likely to stifle Latino entrepreneurship and socioeconomic mobility.
A tough new Arizona immigration law relaunched debate about immigration reform this week. The Mexican government issued a travel warning against Arizona and critics say the law could lead to racial profiling as well an economic drain on the state.
