Concerns about violence and Bolivian unity mount as the eastern, energy-rich province of Santa Cruz prepares to hold a referendum on whether to become autonomous. Three other provinces plan similar votes. 

As the Western Hemisphere experiences the consequences of rising food prices, experts and leaders seek to identify the crisis' source as well as solutions. A debate over biofuels has emerged with the food price hikes. 

Opponents of Pemex’s energy reform package say it will pave the way for the company’s privatization. Yet proponents say Pemex will remain state-owned while the reform will help the firm meet an urgent need to boost production. 

Pablo Reyes, Director of the Center for Latin American Strategic Studies in Bogota, calls for careful policy planning for biofuels. He writes that governments and industry. "International cooperation is essential for the biofuels industry to move forward," he writes.

The hemisphere-wide commodity-led boom is unlikely to improve competitiveness without sweeping reforms in the areas of infrastructure, institutions, and human capital, according to Jerry Haar of Florida International University. His new book, Can Latin America Compete? Confronting the Challenges of Globalization, will be launched at AS/COA.

President Felipe Calderón presented a much-anticipated energy reform proposal to Mexico's Congress on April 8. Politics and questions about private investment will determine the fate of the bill.

Bruce Dale, Professor, Michigan State University, and David Pimentel duel over the economic and environmental sense of biofuels.