Global Recovery: A View From the Americas

Economic recovery, at home, in Europe, across the globe, seems to be on everyone's minds these days. In the United States, the engine to power our economic recovery is fueled by human and physical resources right here in our own hemisphere. No one knows this better than the Council of the Americas. Since its founding in 1965, the Council's approximately 200 members account for a large percentage of U.S. investment in Latin America and the Caribbean. Their investment is linked by a shared belief that free markets and private enterprise, coupled with strong democratic governance, offer the most effective means to achieve regional economic growth and prosperity.

Yesterday, when we addressed the Council at their annual conference, Deputy Secretary Bill Burns and I took the opportunity to emphasize that the United States' road to recovery lies right here in our region. Secretary Clinton has described it as "the power of proximity," and I'd like to share a few facts with you that speak to the vital interest we have in investing in our partnerships with our neighbors, and what further steps our Administration is taking to ensure that our shared hemispheric future is safe and prosperous.

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Roberta Jacobson serves as U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs.