Council of the Americas hosted former Peruvian Ambassador to the United States Eduardo Ferrero to discuss the Andean country's economic and political outlook in the context of the global financial downturn.

By striking free-trade agreements with Colombia and Peru, "Canada is taking a leadership role in the logical and inevitable move toward freer trade," writes Canadian Senator Pamela Wallin.

Facing a global financial crisis, 21 leaders met in Lima to caution against protectionism and call for resumption of the Doha Round of trade talks. The APEC summit also served as U.S. President George W. Bush's last scheduled trip abroad, where he pressed for “free markets, free trade, and free people.”

Chinese President Hu Jintao's trip to Latin America helps cement Beijing's growing relationship with the region. After the G20 summit and before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference in Lima, Hu traveled to Costa Rica and Cuba.

In the aftermarth of a corruption scandal, President Alan García reshuffled his cabinet. Both corruption and protecting the economy stand at the top of the presidential agenda.

In the wake of a corruption scandal, Peru’s President Alan García moved quickly to choose a new prime minister who could help him build consensus and boost his approval ratings, which remain low in spite of the country’s economic expansion in recent years.

AS/COA hosted its annual conference in Lima on September 4, featuring a remarks by President Alan García, Prime Minister Jorge del Castillo, and Foreign Affairs Minister José Antonio García Belaunde. Read a summary of the event.