At a COA-hosted public program, World Bank Private and Financial Sector Vice President Sylvia Solf presented the findings of Doing Business 2009, the sixth in a series of annual reports comparing business regulations in 181 countries. View Solf's presentation.

A September 5 AS/COA Miami infrastructure panel offered an opportunity to evaluate the gap in strategic infrastructure in Latin America relative to other regions, as well as to analyze the financial structures for infrastructure investment. Read the summary.

AS/COA hosted its annual conference in Lima on September 4, featuring a remarks by President Alan García, Prime Minister Jorge del Castillo, and Foreign Affairs Minister José Antonio García Belaunde. Read a summary of the event.

U.S.-Argentine relations and the effects of global economic turbulence were among the topics discussed at AS/COA's annual conference in Buenos Aires. Featured speakers included U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Tom Shannon, European Central Bank President Lucas Papademos, and Economy Minister Carlos Fernández. Read the conference summary.

Venezuela continues its trend of nationalizations, with the cement industry serving as the latest example. Meanwhile, a series of decrees and blacklisting of candidates in advance of November municipal elections appear designed to strengthen Chávez’s hand.

Relations between Brazil and the United States offer “fertile areas” to partner in the fields of resource technology, security, and private sector cooperation.

In the wake of the floundering Doha Round of trade talks, AS/COA hosted its annual Montevideo conference, focusing on Uruguay's positive economic performance in the context of global market flux. Presentations by Ministers Danilo Astori and Daniel Martínez as well as U.S. Congressman Gregory Meeks served as conference highlights.