En un artículo de opinión para El Diario, Christopher Sabatini explica por qué América Latina se mantiene en un nivel secundario en los radares de política exterior de los Estados Unidos en este año electoral. También analiza los puntos de vista de los presuntos candidatos presidenciales en torno al comercio regional, Cuba, y la reforma migratoria.

A Cuban reform allows private farmers use of state-controlled land, marking a departure from past policies. Whether the law is far-reaching enough remains to be seen, given that the government retains land ownership.

U.S. presidential candidates square off this week over the future of Washington's Cuba policy. Meanwhile, Raúl Castro's government has passed limited reforms since taking office. 

In an AS/COA Online interview, OAS Secretary General José Miguel Insulza describes the role of the agency in negotiating recent border tensions between Ecuador and Colombia, autonomy and recall votes in Bolivia, and U.S.-Cuba relations. "[T]he OAS has to prove itself as the main forum for political dialogue in the Americas," said Insulza.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez called for passage of the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement and improvements in Cuba’s human rights at COA's annual Washington Conference on the Americas. He announced a May 21, 2008 White House event to “shine a spotlight” on political prisoners in Cuba.

In a speech at the 2008 Washington Conference, Secretary Gutierrez decried the changes taking place under Cuba’s Fidel Castro as “superficial.” He called for passage of the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement. Read his remarks.

At the Miami launch of the latest issue of Americas Quarterly, a panel moderated by Miami Herald columnist Andrés Oppenheimer examined Latin American social mobility and hemispheric trade policy, as well as Cuba’s economic outlook following Raúl Castro’s accession.