Video: The Decline of U.S. Influence? Americas Quarterly on Foreign Policy in the Americas 

Panelists:

• Russell Crandall, Professor of American Foreign Policy and International Politics, Davidson College
• Guy Edwards, Research Fellow, Institute for Environment & Society, Brown University; Co-Director, Climate and Development Lab
• Diana Villiers Negroponte, Public Policy Scholar, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
• Alana Tummino, Senior Editor, Americas Quarterly; Director of Policy, Americas Society/Council of the Americas (moderator)

In the launch of Americas Quarterly's Winter 2015 issue, panelists unwrapped the evolving relationship between the United States and Latin America, focusing, in particular, on recent measures towards Cuba and Venezuela. According to Davidson College Professor Russell Crandall, journalist and scholars are still looking at the region through a "residual Cold War lens." On the other hand, new diplomatic relations with Cuba could mean the region is "finally moving towards a post anti-American feeling," he said. Woodrow Wilson's Diana Villiers Negroponte said that U.S. foreign policy has two main drivers—economics and human rights defense—and Obama's recent sanctions on seven Venezuelan officials are an example of the latter. Brown University's Guy Edwards noted that climate change is one policy area the two parties should coordinate on, though North Americans tend to be more skeptical than Latin Americans.