With the U.S. Congress soon set to adjourn for the year, it leaves behind much unfinished business when it come to Western Hemisphere affairs.

Before the United States agrees to lift more sanctions toward Cuba, Havana must allow for greater political and economic freedoms.

A compromise by Senate Democrats in the new health care reform bill would limit access to some new medical plans for undocumented and legal immigrants. Critics say resulting emergency care costs will be passed along to taxpayers and insurance policyholders.

In the latest issue of Poder, COA Vice President Eric Farnsworth reflects on U.S-Latin American relations since the 1989 invasion of Panama. “The United States has the right to expect others to hold up their end of the bargain,” he writes, saying the Obama administration’s move toward a cooperative approach deserves Latin American reciprocity.

Council of the Americas organized an October 29 bipartisan discussion on Capitol Hill concerning the role of trade in building stronger partnerships, economic and job recovery, and broad-based development in the Western Hemisphere.

Colombia's Defense Minister Gabriel Silva indicated that a pending U.S.-Colombian military deal could be signed this week. The pact allows U.S. military troops access to seven bases in Colombia and has drawn concern from some South American countries, particularly neighboring Venezuela.

Every ten years the Census attempts to provide a demographic snapshot, but some people are undoubtedly uncounted, miscounted, or overlooked, writes Carlos Yescas, author of Indigenous Routes: A Framework for Understanding Indigenous Migration.