rethinking relations between the united states and colombia

In recent articles, Inter-American Dialogue President Michael Shifter discusses a change afoot in US-Colombia relations. The Washington Post published an op/ed by Shifter arguing that the entirety of US-Colombia relations “may be on the verge of some important changes.”  In Politica Exterior, Shifter calls for “a new approach” to Plan Colombia, the US aid program designed to help Colombia fight drug trafficking and insurgency. And most recently Shifter weighed in on the US-Colombia defense cooperation agreement (which has been blocked by Colombia's Constitutional Court), writing that the Court's decision gives the US "a chance to manage this issue more skillfully and sensitively than it did in 2009."     .  

Linowitz Forum: IMMIGRATION REFORM, DRUG POLICY, SECURITY TOP 2010 meeting AGENDA 

The shared drug problem, international and domestic ramifications of the US immigration debate and the prospects of reconstruction efforts in Haiti led the agenda of topics addressed at the Inter-American Dialogue’s eighth biennial Sol Linowitz Forum on June 25 to 27 in Washington, DC. The Forum brings the Dialogue’s 100 members together with outside analysts and officials for an extended discussion of the key issues in hemispheric affairs. Select guest speakers at this year’s Forum included IDB President Luis Alberto Moreno, Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, President Obama’s National Security Council special advisor for the Western Hemisphere, Dan Restrepo, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Treasury Nancy Lee. For more information visit the Forum webpage, view the agenda or read the event summary.

cuba to free 52 prisoners

The Cuban government will release 52 political prisoners into exile over the next four months. For the first time in four years, Fidel Castro made a public appearance (pictured) following the announcement. Dialogue president Michael Shifter told the Associated Press that the deal was "clearly positive…for the Cubans and positive for any steps the U.S. wants to take.” Shifter was also quoted by the Inter-Press Agency and the Wall Street Journal.  Dialogue member Jorge Dominguez of Harvard University was interviewed on PBS NewsHour.