At an AS/COA program, Cuba experts and the author of Cuba Wars, a new book by Dan Erikson, discussed the current state of U.S. policy toward the island nation and changes that could be expected in the near future. This discussion comes at a pivotal time, as leadership transitions have occurred in both countries.

During his first official international visit in Ottawa, President Obama struck a cordial tone on trade and announced a new environmental initiative on clean energy with Canadian Prime Minister Stephan Harper. Both leaders underscored the importance of bilateral cooperation to face the economic crisis.

President Obama’s first official foreign visit to Canada on February 18 hasn’t garnered much attention in the press. Yet Canada is the United States' largest trading partner, strategic energy supplier, and plays a decisive role in the war in Afghanistan. The AQ blog discusses why it maybe the time to start paying attention.

On February 5, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, the David Rockefeller for Latin American Studies, and the Council of the Americas featured a seminar focused on the widespread economic, political, and social effects felt in the region amid the current global financial crisis.

COA Vice President Eric Farnsworth provided testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, suggesting ways to foment a mutually beneficial agenda in Latin America. He emphasized the importance of resisting investment protectionism and prioritizing U.S. relations with Mexico and Brazil.

The April Summit of the Americas will provide a clue to President Barack Obama’s Latin America policy.

"The existing model for expanding trade in the hemisphere—in essence, piecemeal liberalization—has reached a point of diminishing returns," writes COA's Eric Farnsworth in Current History.