Voters chose continuity in electing former Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos by a landslide during Colombia's June 20 runoff. He garnered 69 percent of the vote compared to the 27 percent earned by his rival, former Bogota Mayor Antanas Mockus.

The recent launch of Brazilian television throughout most of the African continent marked the latest sign of a growing economic and diplomatic relationship between Brazil and Africa.

Former Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos is favored to win against ex-Mayor of Bogota Antanas Mockus in Colombia's second round of presidential elections on June 20.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Barbados to support the recent launch of the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative. The agreement, proposed last year by U.S. President Barack Obama, provides funds for anti-corruption and counternarcotics operations in 15 Caribbean countries.

At the 40th OAS General Assembly hosted by Peru this week, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged Honduras' readmission into the OAS. She traveled on to Quito, where she delivered remarks on the shared U.S.-Latin American responsibility to boost social inclusion in the Americas.

Recent civil unrest in Jamaica raised concerns about the goverment's ability to tackle criminal gangs and drug lords. Experts disagree on the prime minister’s future political prospects in the wake of turmoil in Tivoli Gardens sparked by the search for kingpin Christopher Coke.

Former Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos won more than twice the votes of his main rival in Colombia's May 30 elections, but fell short of gaining the simple majority needed to avoid a runoff. Santos and the Green Party's Antanas Mockus compete for the presidency in a second round on June 20.