RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Mauricio Cárdenas and Kevin Casas-Zamora, September 15, 2009, The Brookings Institution
A new agreement between the United States and Colombia will give the U.S. military access to seven existing facilities in order to carry out counternarcotics and counterinsurgency operations. Mauricio Cardenas and Kevin Casas-Zamora examine concerns among countries in Latin America regarding this move and argue that it is time to have meaningful conversation on a problem that affects the whole hemisphere. Read More
PAST EVENT
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
9:00 AM to 12:20 PM
Washington, DC
On July 21, the Latin America Initiative at Brookings and the Andean Development Corporation (CAF) hosted a discussion of CAF’s recent report titled “Roads to the Future: Management of Infrastructure in Latin America.” Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
July 21, 2009, Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement
In most societies, citizens have more interaction with municipal authorities than with national government officials. The same is true in Colombia. However, policies that address displacement are often developed by the national government and left to the municipal authorities to implement. In this report, the Brookings-Bern Project presents the issues discussed at a workshop for municipal authorities in how to better respond to the needs of Colombia's IDPs. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Bilal Y. Saab and Alexandra W. Taylor, May 22, 2009, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism
Bilal Saab and Alexandra Taylor analyze how terrorist groups and armed insurgents in Colombia regularly exploit illicit markets to launder money, traffic illegal goods, and purchase arms. The authors find that group goals, the political environment, and membership strongly influence the types of criminal activities a given armed group undertakes. They conclude that membership and political agenda of sub-state armed groups not only distinguishes them from criminal groups, but also shapes their criminal behavior. Read More
PAST EVENT
Thursday, May 21, 2009
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Washington, DC
Spillovers from a global crisis that began in advanced economies pose a severe test to Latin America and the Caribbean region. On May 21, the Latin America Initiative at Brookings hosted Nicolás Eyzaguirre, director of the IMF’s Western Hemisphere Department, and Steve Phillips, also of the IMF, as they presented this year’s Regional Economic Outlook: Western Hemisphere report. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Abraham F. Lowenthal, May 04, 2009, The Miami Herald
Abe Lowenthal writes that among the important accomplishments by President Obama in his first 100 days has been a major step forward in U.S. relations with our neighbors in Latin America and the Caribbean. Lowenthal outlines policies the United States should pursue in the Americas and reminds the administration to keep it simple in the region. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Abraham F. Lowenthal, April 16, 2009, The Huffington Post
Key differences persist among the many countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. In the leadup to the fifth Summit of the Americas, Abraham Lowenthal says Obama would do well to remember Ronald Reagan's comment on returning from his first trip to South America as president: "These Latin American countries are all very different from each other." Read More
PAST EVENT
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Washington, DC
The Obama administration faces a number of challenges in Latin America. The fifth Summit of the Americas offers leaders of the Western Hemisphere an opportunity to partner on a new and robust agenda that spans global economic, social, energy and climate change issues. On April 14, Brookings experts discussed the critical issues facing the leaders attending the summit and proposed recommendations for action. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Ted Piccone, April 14, 2009, The Huffington Post
As the Summit of the Americas draws near, Ted Piccone analyzes Obama's debut before the hemisphere’s main gathering of democratically elected leaders and discusses what should come from the meeting. Piccone believes Obama should lead by example by implementing human rights reforms at home and by reminding colleagues they share a responsibility to follow universal democratic standards. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
April 13, 2009, The Brookings Institution
Leaders of the Western Hemisphere gathered in Trinidad and Tobago on April 17-19, 2009 for the fifth Summit of the Americas. In a series of commentary articles focused on the summit's agenda and key challenges, Brookings experts discuss critical economic, social, energy and climate change issues facing the leaders attending the summit and propose recommendations for policy action. Read More
VIDEO
Mauricio Cárdenas, April 10, 2009
Mauricio Cárdenas, director of the Latin America Initiative, says the focus of the fifth Summit of the Americas will be the global economic crisis. He also explains that the nations need to agree on strengthening regional development banks and that certain countries need open trade.
VIDEO
Vanda Felbab-Brown, April 08, 2009
Vanda Felbab-Brown previews the Summit of the Americas talks opening this week in Trinidad and Tobago and outlines some of the key political, economic and social issues up for discussion, including the role of the United States.
PAST EVENT
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
12:30 PM to 01:30 PM
Washington, DC
The Obama administration faces any number of challenges in Latin America, from Cuba to Colombia, from Bolivia to Venezuela. Mauricio Cárdenas previewed the upcoming Summit of the Americas and took your questions on U.S. policy in the region during a live web chat with Politico's Fred Barbash. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Elizabeth Ferris, April 06, 2009, Forced Migration Review #32
The advances in laws related to IDPs have not addressed the relationship between internal displacement and peacebuilding in Colombia. Elizabeth Ferris explores the issue. Read More
BOOK
Abraham F. Lowenthal, Ted Piccone, Laurence Whitehead and Foreword by Strobe Talbott, April 01, 2009
The Obama administration inherits a daunting set of domestic and international policy challenges. The Obama Administration and the Americas, however, argues that the new administration should focus early and strategically on Latin America. Read More