Reynaldo Manjarrez, alcalde local del distrito dos de Cartagena, habla con AQ Online sobre sus esfuerzos para mejorar la calidad de vida en su distrito.

"My hope is today’s events will be the beginning of a renewed effort from the United States to engage in trade," says COA's Eric Farnsworth.

During his stop in Bogota, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas fell short of getting Colombia's support for Palestine's admission to the UN. But Abbas' Latin American outreach appears to fit into a global strategy to promote Palestinian recognition.

The U.S. House and Senate passage of bilateral free trade agreements with Colombia and Panama on October 12 clears the way for long-delayed implementation.

The White House submitted trade deals with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea on Monday. Key legislators indicated the long-pending deals could win approval before Congress breaks for recess later this month.

"Simply put, Colombia has enjoyed an energy renaissance over the past decade," COA's Eric Farnsworth tells World Politics Review's Global Insider.

As part of 2011 Presidents of the Americas series, AS/COA hosted a public lunch with Juan Manuel Santos, president of Colombia. Watch the video.