On November 30, AS/COA welcomed former Presidents José Sarney and Alejandro Toledo at the annual Latin America Conference. Panels focused on promoting social and economic development in the Americas as well as Venezuela's vote on constitutional reform.

The Council of the Americas applauds the U.S. House of Representatives on passage of the US-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (TPA) by an overwhelming vote of 285 to 132. The enactment of this important legislation reaffirms the strong ties that exist between the people of Peru and the United States and its effects will be felt with increased opportunities for economic growth and trade in both countries.

The Stone Center for Latin American Studies invites applications for two one-year post-doctoral fellowships for the 2008-09 academic year. Fellows will be selected following two criteria: intellectual merit; and the potential impact that their research, teaching, and experience would have on the strategic advancement of Latin American Studies at Tulane University.

Americas Society announces the release of a catalog for the current exhibition Beginning with a Bang! From Confrontation to Intimacy. The publication includes essays by featured artists and a historical timeline covering the shift between the explosive and experimental moment in the Argentine art scene of the 1960s and the current scene emerging after extreme crises in Argentina during the last 40 years.

Americas Society presents Beginning with a Bang! From Confrontation to Intimacy, an exhibition of Argentine contemporary art that maps the historical scenario of specific breakthroughs in contemporary art of 1960s Buenos Aires. The exhibition opened September 28 with a curatorial dialogue. In addition, AS hosted a panel discussion on contemporary Argentine literature at 6:30 p.m. reflecting on Argentina's complex identity through its culture, history, and landscape.

AS/COA host Latin American leaders during the week of the UN General Assembly in New York, including public events with Presidents Michelle Bachelet of Chile, Rafael Correa of Ecuador, and Alvaro Uribe of Colombia, as well as Argentine Senator and presidential candidate Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. Learn more about our UNGA-related events.

In testimony to the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, COA Vice President Eric Farnsworth notes that passage of the U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement is a rare opportunity to advance strategic policy goals while promoting U.S. economic, labor and environmental interests.