By the end of the month, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will have played host to Israeli, Palestinian, and Iranian leaders as he lifts Brazil’s profile on Middle East policy. But the November 23 visit of Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad raises eyebrows, given global concerns over Tehran's nuclear program.

"Brazil's growing influence on the global stage means that leaders with whom the president of Brazil chooses to meet gain greater credibility and, indeed, legitimacy through those meetings," says COA's vice president, commenting on the Iranian president's November 23 trip to Brazil.

After revealing a drop in deforestation rates, Brazil announced a greenhouse gas reduction target of nearly 40 percent by 2020. Brazil has partnered with France to chart a global climate change proposal for next month's UN environmental summit. Still, bold plans could give way to a scaled-back agreement in Copenhagen.

This working paper explores energy and climate issues in Brazil and elaborates on recommendations regarding biofuels, the country's environmental profile, and prospects for a U.S.-Brazilian energy partnership.

Presidents Barack Obama and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva made their case to the Olympics Committee in Copenhagen on Friday as Chicago and Rio vied to host the 2016 Summer Games. But only one of the popular leaders could return home with a victory in hand. Rio will be the first South American host of the Olympics.

Venezuela's new plan to make a $2.2 billion arms purchase from Russia stoked U.S. fears that the deal could lead to an arms race in the Americas. While Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez took a whirlwind tour including the Moscow stop, France and Brazil signed their own multi-billion-dollar arms pact.

While some journalists reporting in Latin America face threats to personal security, others deal with official intimidation in what some warn could roll back hard-won press freedoms. But governments and journalists have also taken steps to ensure greater access to information.