On the fiftieth anniversary of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, former President of Peru Alejandro Toledo discusses the role the Commission has played in helping reconcile the region's complex past and safeguard its democratic institutions. Adapted from an article originally published in Americas Quarterly.

AS/COA's Christopher Sabatini writes in El Diario/LaPrensa that during Brazilian President Luis Inácio Lula da Silva’s White House visit he advocated for the continued flow of free trade to confront the global economic crisis, a stance removed from Lula’s political beginnings as a trade union leader. (en español)

“We’re all in this together, and if we act in a coordinated and thoughtful manner, we’ll be able to get out of it together” writes COA Vice President Eric Farnsworth for Poder magazine. At this time of financial crisis, he suggests revitalizing the trade agenda to boost economies across the Americas.

A drought gripping the Southern Cone, particularly Argentina, harmed grain output in 2008 and threatens production this year. It remains to be seen whether recent rains can reverse the damage done.

Havana celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of the revolution, Brazil steps up its Amazonian military presence, and Chihuahua City initiates a prison program to ensure transparency. Read these stories and more in the Weekly Roundup.

Falling commodity prices and the global liquidity crisis present a challenge for Latin America’s energy sector. An AS/COA panel analyzed how these factors affect energy investment.

A September 5 AS/COA Miami infrastructure panel offered an opportunity to evaluate the gap in strategic infrastructure in Latin America relative to other regions, as well as to analyze the financial structures for infrastructure investment. Read the summary.