In El Diario/La Prensa, Christopher Sabatini writes that the media inflated South America's leftward shift. Instead, election outcomes reflect the desire for pragmatic change similar to the one shown by the choice of Barack Obama for U.S. president. (en español)

Jorge "Tuto" Quiroga, former president of Bolivia, outlines a concrete working agenda for the Obama administration. Originally published in Americas Quarterly.

Building on a previous AQ article, Admiral James Stavridis outlines some of the Southern Command's key initiatives in Latin America, including traveling hospital ships to provide training and medical services.

Originally published in Americas Quarterly, Dominican Republic President Leonel Fernández's memo to the U.S. President-elect calls for investing a portion of oil profits in countries that have been hit hardest by rising oil and food prices.

Writing for Ambassadors REVIEW, AS/COA's Christopher Sabatini writes that, while Cuban President Raúl Castro's reforms led to hope for concrete change on the island, "Don’t hold your breath."

McLarty Associates Managing Director Kellie Meiman writes, "If Brazil can come into its own as a true pragmatic stakeholder in the global economy and international institutions at the same time that the United States reemerges as a champion of multilateralism, there is much our countries can achieve together."

President-elect Obama must use his transition period to set the tone for the new administration and prepare for future economic and security challenges.