The Colombian Senate brought President Colombia's Álvaro Uribe a step closer to a third term when it approved a bill allowing for a reelection referendum. But the president has not yet made his intentions clear about a possible candidacy. Meanwhile, Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos resigned and may join the race.

Earlier this week, Colombian lawmakers approved a controversial referendum bill that paves the way for President Álvaro Uribe to seek a third consecutive term in office. While Uribe has not said whether he intends to run again, he has certainly done nothing to discourage the idea.

On May 3, Panama's voters chose a business leader who chaired the Panama Canal Authority over a former housing minister from the party currently in power. As the winner, Ricardo Martinelli will oversee the country as it faces economic challenges and a multi-billion dollar expansion of the canal.

In an AS/COA Online interview, Eric Farnsworth lays out what Panama's May 3 presidential election could mean for the country’s economy and for bilateral relations with Washington. He explains that Ricardo Martinelli, who leads in polls, “has always been able to navigate the very complicated relationship with the Unites States.”

Though facing a financially tough 2009, President Rafael Correa won Sunday’s vote. His government unveiled a controversial debt buyback plan a week before the election.

After a 15-month "mega-trial," a Peruvian court found former President Alberto Fujimori guilty of human rights abuses. The verdict makes him the first democratically elected leader in Latin America convicted in a human rights case in his home country.