Contributions from Carin Zissis
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, opening speaker at the 40th Annual Washington Conference on the Americas, talked about the primacy of hemispheric issues on the Obama administration's agenda. She stressed three priority areas for U.S.-Latin American cooperation: trade and energy partnerships, public security, and inequality and immigration.
A tough new Arizona immigration law relaunched debate about immigration reform this week. The Mexican government issued a travel warning against Arizona and critics say the law could lead to racial profiling as well an economic drain on the state.
The region appears to be turning the page on the economic crisis and welcoming financial recovery, with the World Bank and IMF releasing reports showing positive signs of growth across much of Latin America.