Latin America Commentary & Analysis

Jacobson: Rousseff Visit ‘Critical’ for US-Brazil Relations

By Larry Luxner

With less than two weeks to go before Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff’s June 30 trip to Washington, the State Department’s top Latin America official says she’s optimistic the long-delayed visit will mark “the beginning of a new chapter in our relationship.” Roberta Jacobson, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, spoke June 19 at […]

US-Brazil Relations: Time for a Reset?

On June 30, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff will visit the United States, nearly two years after she cancelled a planned trip to Washington in the wake of revelations by Edward Snowden that the US National Security Agency was monitoring her phone calls and emails. Peter Schechter, Director of the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America […]

Spotlight: President Rousseff’s US Visit

By Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center

After a period of Brazil’s necessary distancing from the United States in the wake of the National Security Agency spying scandal in 2013, both countries are ready to reengage. The June 30 meeting between Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and US President Barack Obama comes amid much change—both in Brazil itself and in the United States’ […]

At Last, Some Good News for Mexico’s Peña Nieto

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Strengthening of ruling coalition in midterm elections will boost President’s reform agenda, says Atlantic Council’s Schechter Mexico’s June 7 mid-term elections, which unexpectedly strengthened the ruling coalition’s majority in the lower house of Congress, will boost President Enrique Peña Nieto’s efforts to reform the Mexican economy, predicts the Atlantic Council’s Peter Schechter. “The election result […]

US Drug Habit Deadly for Latin America

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Head of US Southern Command says terrorists could one day use criminal networks A demand in the United States for drugs—specifically cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamines—is devastating communities across Latin America, says Marine Corps Gen John F. Kelly, Commander of US Southern Command. Illegal trafficking networks pose not just a security threat, they also have corrosive […]

US-Cuba Forecast: Sunny?

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Cuba’s removal from terrorism list opens the door to full diplomatic relations says Atlantic Council’s Schechter US President Barack Obama’s decision to take Cuba off the list of state sponsors of terrorism is a long-awaited move that “opens the door” to the re-establishment of relations with Cuba, said Peter Schechter, the Atlantic Council’s lead Latin […]

Mexico’s Energy Reform: Is It Still on Track?

By Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center

Mexico’s historic energy reforms continue to hold exciting promise for the country, achieving the requisite constitutional and implementing legislation over the last fifteen months. The global oil price climate, however, has prompted a few mid-course corrections to the rollout of the reforms. For Mexico to continue to attract excitement for its energy sector, the government […]

Spotlight: Summit of the Americas

By Rachel DeLevie-Orey and Thomas Corrigan

In this month’s Spotlight, we ask: What will be the top headlines at the VII Summit of the Americas? The Summit of the Americas on April 10-11 is generating an unprecedented amount of attention, thanks in large part to the dramatic changes in the US-Cuba relationship. Though historic, the novelty of seeing Cuban President Raúl […]

Brazil’s Political Crisis and the Dilma Factor

By Ricardo Sennes

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff is struggling with a loss of popularity and an inability to pass reforms that are critical to addressing the enormous economic challenges facing Brazil. The current political crisis is being driven by four key factors. The first is widespread discontent with the impunity and corruption of government officials, most notably those […]