Speakers:

• Arturo Sarukhan, former Mexican Ambassador to the U.S. 
• Earl Anthony Wayne, former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico 
• Ann Wilson, Senior Vice President, Government Affairs, Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association
• Eric Farsnworth, Vice President, Council of the Americas (moderator)

Amid tensions over U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to impose escalating tariffs on Mexican imports, Council of the Americas brought together experts on trade and diplomacy for a timely panel to discuss the repurcussions of such actions and how Mexico should respond. Ann Wilson said that, per MEMA's calculations, $457 million worth of auto parts cross the U.S.-Mexico border every single day, meaning a huge cost for U.S. consumers seeking to purchase vehicles. But the costs don't stop there: even for consumers who don't own cars, costs will go up as truck and transport prices rise. Ambassador Earl Anthony Wayne pointed out that tying tariffs to migration flows and expecting immediate results is not reasonable, given overburdened immigration agencies in both countries, saying that it is "not a problem you can turn on and off in a week." Meanwhile, Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan predicted that the Trump administration will seek to proceed with the 5 percent tariffs slated to go into effect on June 10, noting that the president is looking for a trophy, not an agreement. 

• Learn about the COA Trade Advisory Group.
• COA Statement: Tariff Proposal Threatens U.S. and Mexican Economies
• Get the numbers on migration and Mexico tariffs.

“It is unquestionable that over the last two years there has been profound transformation across Latin America," said U.S. Vice President Mike Pence at the 49th Washington Conference on the Americas. Pence's remarks covered U.S. relations with countries from Ecuador to Brazil, but focused, in large part, on supporting a democratic transition in Venezuela. He outlined the next steps the Trump administration is ready to take to pressure the Maduro regime, including holding Venezuelan Supreme Court magistrates accountable and removing sanctions on military leaders willing to defect.

• Get a summary of the conference.
• Read a transcript of Pence's remarks.
• Watch more speaker videos.

At the 49th Washington Conference on the Americas, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) received the 2019 Chairman’s Award from AS/COA Board Chair Andrés Gluski, who highlighted the senior senator from Florida’s leadership on Capitol Hill on U.S. policy toward Latin America and on Venezuela, in particular. Rubio, chairman of the Senate's Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, then spoke about the situation in Venezuela and how the country is part of what he described as a global battle between totalitarianism and democracy. “A lot of chavistas are too materialistic to be communists,” he said, dismissing the notion that loyalists to Nicolás Maduro are ideologues and saying that the regime instead is held together by a desire to stay in power so chavistas can protect their families and the millions of dollars they’ve stashed in foreign banks.

• Read a summary of the conference.
• Watch more speaker videos.