U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson

Latin America is “at a crossroads” marked by the struggle between competing futures, according to Colombian Minister of Defense Juan Manuel Santos. This clash will shape internal and external geo-politics for years to come, forcing the United States to pay close attention to engagement with its friends.

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."

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.

AS/COA Director of Policy Jason Marczak asks "Yahoo! Respuestas" users how they believe the U.S. primary process could be changed to boost voter participation. Through a partnership with Yahoo, contributers to Americas Quarterly and News & Views regularly pose questions related to policy in the Western Hemisphere.

Key Western Hemisphere ministers such as Thomas Shannon explored issues at the forefront of the U.S.-Western Hemisphere agenda during the 37th Annual Washington Conference on the Americas.

Creating open markets, improving development assistance, and securing reasonably priced energy supplies are the leading components of a U.S. strategy to engage the hemisphere. John Negroponte cautions that “questionable decision-making in some capitals threatens to spread poverty and inequality.”