Foreign Relations

Speaking at the 38th Washington Conference on the Americas, IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn called for increased private and public investment and greater productivity as key factors for sustaining recent economic growth. A rebalancing of China’s exchange rate and policies to reduce the growth in food prices will be some of the next challenges facing the region and the world.

As the Western Hemisphere experiences the consequences of rising food prices, experts and leaders seek to identify the crisis' source as well as solutions. A debate over biofuels has emerged with the food price hikes. 

The reelection of Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero offers both Spain and the United States the chance to mend ties and broaden cooperation in Latin America. Eric Farnsworth and Christian Gomez outline ways the two countries can support Latin America's standing in the global economy and democracy in the region.

Presidents of Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela ended their standoff and the FARC appears increasingly weakened. But the contents of an assassinated FARC leader's laptop suggest the group's reach extends well past Colombia's borders. 

Spain voted Sunday as immigration and the economy took center stage. With a large South American immigrant population in Spain and Spanish conglomerates' holdings in the Americas, the election results hold implications for Latin America.

A Colombian strike against the FARC in Ecuador ignited tensions with Quito and Caracas, causing a diplomatic breakdown and economic repercussions.

With a new leader in Argentina and Venezuela’s Mercosur membership hanging like a question mark, South American presidents gathered in Montevideo December 18. The summit comes as the organization signs a trade pact with Israel, the bloc’s first free-trade agreement, and with troubles brewing among some partners.