Eurasia Group’s Patrick Esteruelas talks about how the plummeting price of oil affects Venezuela’s economy and regional diplomacy. “By all accounts, Venezuela is destroying assets much more quickly than it’s been building them,” he says.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's government has pledged billions to battle the threat of recession and bolster Petrobras. Meanwhile, the Obama administration signals interest in strengthening relations with South America’s largest economy.

In his first meeting with a foreign head of state since the U.S. election, Barack Obama talked with Mexico's Felipe Calderón Monday about how they can tighten bilateral relations to boost each country's economy and address security concerns.

From the resignation of Fidel Castro to the election of Barack Obama, the Americas served as a stage for history. AS/COA Online looks back at events that shaped the region in 2008, from the Andean crisis to Mexico's drug war to Brazil's emergence as a global leader.

Between the financial downturn and stepped up law enforcement, immigrants struggle with fewer employment options in the United States. Yet migrants who plan to move home face other economic woes.

Leaders from Central America met Friday to discuss how to mitigate the effects of the global financial crisis. Calling for deeper integration, leaders proposed creating a common currency and passport.

AS/COA Miami's 5th Annual Predictors Forum focused on the global economic crisis' effects the Americas, as well as opportunities for growth and prospects for the region’s businesses.