Three months into her administration, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff is steering an independent course at the United Nations, while maintaining her predecessor’s guiding principles.

With President Obama set to commence a five-day, Latin American tour on March 19, AS/COA offers coverage and analysis to shine a light on priorities for his first presidential visit to Central and South America.

President Barack Obama’s upcoming visit serves as a signal of the administration’s interest in Brazil, as the country continues its economic and political rise.

The U.S. Secretary of State reiterated Washington’s support for Mexico’s fight against organized crime after leaked cables indicated doubts. Meanwhile, Mexico’s troubled border region shows positive economic signs as manufacturing jobs sprout.

Argentina’s Mar del Plata played host to the twentieth Ibero-American summit, where leaders signed a declaration defending democracy and creating a path to boost access to education.

As world leaders gathered in Cancun for the UN Conference on Climate Change on November 29, Mexico and Brazil, Latin America's major carbon emitters, lead regional efforts to cut greenhouse gasses. Observers, however, question the likelihood of the summit producing any major international agreements.

The dispute over Argentina's decision to grant political amnesty to a Chilean ex-guerilla fighter "will have no lasting impact, though it does reveal growing differences within the region that will continue to spark friction," writes AS/COA's Christopher Sabatini for World Politics Review.