Leaders from the European Union and Latin America gathered in Lima for a biennial summit, focusing on trade, inequality, and climate change as rising food prices threaten to exacerbate poverty. 

Following the release of first quarter indicators and news of record FDI rates, several Latin American countries showed capacity to weather global economic volatility. But analysts warn of slower growth in the coming year. 

Peru's Finance Minister Luis Carranza Ugarte spoke at COA's 38th Washington Conference on the Americas, discussed his recent impressive growth as well as the obstacles to consolidating such gains. “Only through poverty reduction will we be able to consolidate our democratic system," said Carranza.

As host of both a major EU-Latin American summit and the 2008 APEC meetings, Peru has the opportunity to showcase its thriving growth. Rising food prices and the task of finding ways for prosperity to reach rural areas remain as challenges.

In a new article for Poder, COA Vice President Eric Farnsworth examines economic reform in Peru. As the country achieves investment grade, President Alan Garcia seeks to build on the recently approved free-trade agreement with the United States, "ensuring the benefits reach as many people as quickly as possible."

Like the United States, for at least the past decade, half of the graduating attorneys from law schools in Argentina and Peru have been women. However, female attorneys in these countries and across the hemisphere face challenges for career advancement.

Lima's fast response to a devastating earthquake drew high marks. But, in the six months since the disaster left tens of thousands displaced, the road to rebuilding has hit bumps.