"Today, the Maduro regime threatens the peace and security of the entire region," said U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley at the 48th Annual Washington Conference on the Americas. She said "the time for talking is over" and called the country's upcoming elections a sham. Haley talked about rule of law and democracy as pre-conditions for economic growth in the Americas and also brough attention to protests in Nicaragua questioning President Daniel Ortega's rule.

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"The United States is committed to being the security partner of choice for the Americas," said the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan at the 48th Washington Conference on the Americas. The deputy secretary highlighted the importance of U.S. engagement in the hemisphere when it comes to collaborating on issues of security, drug trafficking, and corruption, among other problem areas. Sullivan also addressed the crisis in Venezuela ahead of the May 20 elections: “We support the Venezuelan people in their sovereign right to elect representatives through free, fair, and transparent elections.”

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At the 47th Annual Washington Conference of the Americas, AS/COA Chairman Emeritus John Negroponte interviewed U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ). McCain discussed everything from deteriorating human rights situation in Venezuela, to the dangers of negating the benefits of the North American Free Trade Agreement, known as NAFTA, with Mexico and Canada. He also noted that "the United States has a lot of responsibility" in the drug consumption fueling the violence in Central America that's driving migrants north, noting that already 10 percent of the population of the Northern Triangle—made up of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras—has emigrated in just the last two years.

Security, econonomic prosperity, and defense of U.S. values. Those are the three pillars Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) said should shape U.S. strategy toward the hemisphere. "I think there has been a lack of focus on the hemisphere," he said, "and in the end, our future, both economic and security, is deeply tied to our region."

During his remarks at the 47th Annual Washington Conference of the Americas he also addressed the Venezuelan crisis, noting that "the solution to Venezuela is one election away" and that President Nicolás Maduro should follow the constitution of his own government. He added that the United States should support the Organization of American States in enforcing its Democratic Charter.

According to Rubio, the new U.S. administration should take advantage of this opportunity to enforce ties with the hemisphere and spread democratic values, and if necessary, diplomatically isolate those countries that repress its people, such as Cuba, he said.

In his remarks at the 47th Annual Washington Conference of the Americas, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross explained the new U.S. administration's strategy to increase overall commerce while reducing the trade deficit. “We do not seek a trade war, least of all with our fellow citizens of the Americas,” he said, noting the administration's preference for bilateral rather than multilateral trade deals. Ross also expressed his eagerness to complete a renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement with trade partners Canada and Mexico, and that the 90-day notice the White House has to submit to the U.S. Congress before starting talks will come soon.

At the 47th Annual Washington Conference on the Americas, Canada's Minister of Foreign Trade François-Philippe Champagne made the case for a progressive trade agenda that benefits all sectors of society. He also addressed recent U.S. tariffs on Canadian lumber and said that his country will defend its lumber industry as it looks for other export destination markets.