On November 30, AS/COA welcomed former Presidents José Sarney and Alejandro Toledo at the annual Latin America Conference. Panels focused on promoting social and economic development in the Americas as well as Venezuela's vote on constitutional reform.

While world attention focuses on Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's war of words with Colombia and Spain, Venezuelans prepare to vote on a constitutional referendum that could allow Chavez to hold office indefinitely. Polls indicate the outcome of Sunday's vote remains uncertain. AS/COA’s Latin America Conference featured a discussion panel on the referendum.

Topics in this issue:
• Chávez’s new term
• Nationalization plans
• Oil companies

Peru narrowly dodged a bullet on June 4 when centrist Alan Garcia defeated Ollanta Humala, a radical anti-U.S. demagogue, by an uncomfortably narrow margin. Humala was threatening to pull Peru back from the global economy, install a more authoritarian regime and ally himself with Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez.

These works were drawn from the contemporary art section in Banco Mercantil's extensive art collection in Caracas. The work of Venezuelan artists in this exhibit highlight dialogues with the past and present, reflecting a break from kinetic art and the idea of modernity as a concept in crisis.

Speaking at the 2002 Washington Conference on the Americas, First Deputy Managing Director at International Monetary Fund, Anne Krueger, discuses the economic future of the Americas. Krueger addresses the economic "slow down" in the Americas and elaborates on the crisis in Argentina.

This exhibition catalogue examines the work of three Venezuelan artists who create paintings and mixed-medium assemblages. The catalogue includes interviews with Axel Stein.