Speakers:

• Sergio Amaral, Trustee at CEBRI, former Brazilian Ambassador to the United States
• Brian Winter, Editor-in-Chief, Americas Quarterly
• Cecilia Tornaghi, Managing Editor, Americas Quarterly (moderator)

"We [Brazilians] think we are Europeans, but we are Americans," said former Brazilian Ambassador to the U.S. Sergio Amaral, showing his confidence of a continued solid bilateral relationship based on values and a friendship strenghened by the affinities between Presidents Jair Bolsonaro and Donald Trump. In a discussion with AS/COA Vice President for Policy Brian Winter about the implications of the U.S. elections on Brasília-Washington ties, Amaral presented tough choices for Brazil, no matter the results in November. A Trump reelection could mean a difficult position for Latin American economies that would involve juggling China and the United States, which, Winter pointed out, is already a very polarized discussion in Brazil. In the case of a Joe Biden win, the Democrat's support for a bigger state role on the economy and a Green New Deal would mean "our agendas will not match," said Amaral, explaining relations would still be cordial, but countries should prepare for recurrent frictions. 

Speakers

• Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State, United States
• Andrés Gluski, Chairman, Americas Society/Council of the Americas
• Susan Segal, President and CEO, Americas Society/Council of the Americas
• Eric Farnsworth, Vice President, Council of the Americas

The Trump administration is focused on the economic trajectory of the Western Hemisphere, but that economic prosperity depends on freedom, said U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in remarks delivered as part of the 2020 Washington Conference on the Americas virtual series. Only the citizens of Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela were not living under democratic administrations but, he said, “We’re working to change those outliers,” including through multilateral coalitions such as the Lima Group and the Organization of American States. Before answering some questions from COA members, Pompeo closed by stressing the importance of strengthening U.S. business in Latin America as a way to counter the influence of China, which he warned would take advantage of the COVID-19 crisis to grow its footprint in the region. The secretary also spoke about how the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), due to enter into force on July 1, will help to solidify North American trade ties. “When the dust is settled, our companies will have new clarity,” he said.

COA Vice President Eric Farnsworth opened the event and gave a preview of the 2020 WCA series. AS/COA President and CEO Susan Segal then gave opening remarks. AS/COA Board Chair Andrés Gluski moderated the event.

Keynote Speaker:

• Bill Cassidy, U.S. Senator (R-LA)

Panelists:

• Eric Farnsworth, Vice President, Council of the Americas, former White House Senior Advisor to the Special Envoy for the Americas
• James Mulvenon, Director of Intelligence Integration, SOS International LLC
• David R. Shedd, Visiting Fellow, Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy, The Heritage Foundation, and former Acting Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency
• Ana Rosa Quintana, Senior Policy Analyst, Latin America and the Western Hemisphere, The Heritage Foundation (moderator)

“The degree to which we are not engaged [with Latin America] is the degree to which China takes root,” said Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana in remarks to open a virtual discussion hosted in collaboration with The Heritage Foundation. Following the senator’s remarks, panelists discussed China’s ambitions and aid largesse in Latin America, the region in which the majority of the United States’ free-trade partners are. Eric Farnsworth talked about reinforcing the benefits of free trade in an era when many companies and countries are rethinking their dependence on China. James Mulvenon explained how China’s global activities and objectives have shifted during the pandemic, and David Shedd discussed the future of Taiwan’s profile in Latin America.