In a speech at the 2008 Washington Conference, Secretary Gutierrez decried the changes taking place under Cuba’s Fidel Castro as “superficial.” He called for passage of the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement. Read his remarks.

President George W. Bush, speaking at the COA’s annual Washington Conference on the Americas, delivered a major policy speech on the U.S. role in the Western Hemisphere. “The foundation of a good foreign policy is good relations with your neighbors,” said the president, outlining priorities issues for U.S.-Latin American relations.

The Council of the Americas held the 38th Annual Washington Conference on the Americas on May 6 and 7, drawing together a selection of the region's most influential officials—including the presidents of the United States and Panama—to address the most pressing policy issues affecting the Western Hemisphere. Read more and access program summaries, as well as audio, from the conference.

COA was honored to name Representative Gregory W. Meeks with the Chairman's Award for Leadership in the Americas at the opening of the annual Washington Conference. After accepting the speech, the congressman urged trade liberalization advocates to help add more voices "to the chorus singing the praises of global trade."

At the Miami launch of the latest issue of Americas Quarterly, a panel moderated by Miami Herald columnist Andrés Oppenheimer examined Latin American social mobility and hemispheric trade policy, as well as Cuba’s economic outlook following Raúl Castro’s accession.

The North American Competitiveness Council provided a report on April 22 at the North American Leaders Summit in New Orleans. The report argues that government and business leaders must work harder to broaden public understanding of the benefits that flow from liberalized trade and investment within North America.

While at a New Orleans summit, leaders of Mexico, Canada, and the United States responded to recent criticism of NAFTA by lauding the trade deal. They also touched on immigration and border security.