President George W. Bush, speaking at the COA’s annual Washington Conference on the Americas, delivered a major policy speech on the U.S. role in the Western Hemisphere. “The foundation of a good foreign policy is good relations with your neighbors,” said the president, outlining priorities issues for U.S.-Latin American relations.

Panama's president described how Latin America finds itself at an intersection between sustainable prosperity and challenges such as the global food crisis. Highlighting the Panama Canal expansion project as an opportunity for national dialogue, Torrijos voiced support for open markets and democracy.

Weekly Roundup: Hemispheric Leaders Gather at COA Conference, Chile handles a national disaster, and Canada loosens food aid rules. Read these stories and more in the Weekly Roundup.

President Álvaro Colom of Guatemala meets with his U.S. counterpart this week. The Central American leader hopes to decrease Guatemalan poverty, despite the challenge of global economic insecurity. "With decisive action, and international assistance," writes COA Vice President Eric Farnsworth, "the new president has the opportunity to regenerate a broader growth agenda."

Universal welfare programs are returning to the social policy mix in the hemisphere. By their very nature, limited social assistance policies have limited impact, writes José Antonio Ocampo. Read the full text of the article in the Spring 2008 issue of Americas Quarterly, released April 24.

AS/COA’s second microfinance roundtable discussion provided an opportunity to discuss challenges and opportunities for expanding its outreach in Latin America. The sector has favored a commercial approach as Latin American microfinance moves beyond the distribution of loans.