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
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Kevin Casas-Zamora, April 24, 2009, The Brookings Institution
All things considered, the Summit was a success for the President and for the U.S. writes Kevin Casas-Zamora. He concludes that despite the dearth of immediate results, the mutation in tone under Obama will lead in due course to concrete changes in the U.S. relationship with 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
VIDEO
Ted Piccone, April 10, 2009
In previewing the fifth Summit of the Americas, Ted Piccone notes that popular support for democracy and good governance is widespread in Latin America and that the United States has an opportunity to fix its approach to democracy assistance.
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
PAST EVENT
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
3:30 PM to 5:00 PM
Washington, DC
On April 1, Brookings hosted a panel discussion on the upcoming Summit of the Americas and the recently released book, The Obama Administration and the Americas: Agenda for Change (Brookings Institution Press, 2009), edited by Brookings Nonresident Senior Fellow Abraham F. Lowenthal, Brookings Senior Fellow and Deputy Director of Foreign Policy Theodore J. Piccone and University of Oxford Fellow Laurence Whitehead. Read More