With some 300,000 Central American migrants traveling through Mexico each year, the country’s Senate unanimously approved a law decriminalizing undocumented immigration. Should the law pass, it would guarantee access to education, health services, and legal protection.
U.S. President Barack Obama meets with heads of state from four Latin American countries in March—first when Mexican President Felipe Calderón visits Washington, followed by Obama's tour of Brazil, Chile, and El Salvador later in the month. AS/COA Online explores topics on the agenda in each case.
A referendum proposed by Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa would reform the judiciary and crack down on crime, but critics say it will strengthen the executive’s hand.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner suggested February 16 that free trade deals with Colombia and Panama should gain approval this year along with the South Korea trade pact. His comments coincide with an uptick in pressure to set timelines on the trade deals.
Colombia and China may partner to build a 137-mile railway linking the Andean country’s Atlantic and Pacific coasts. The “dry canal” project fuels speculation that Colombia is looking beyond the United States for trade opportunities.
Mexico's finance secretary traveled to New York amid positive news about his country's economic outlook. Meanwhile, some U.S. officials have raised concerns about security along the Mexican border even as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security touts low crime rates in border cities.
Six months since he took office, Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos’ high approval rating and backing in Congress could help usher through a law that would provide reparations to victims of his country’s conflict.
