Dialogue Honors Enrique Iglesias

On May 15, the Dialogue honored Enrique V. Iglesias for his many contributions to economic and social advance in Latin America. Distinguished guests, including World Bank President Robert Zoellick, IDB President Luis Alberto Moreno and Dialogue co-chair Carla Hills paid tribute to Iglesias alongside various experts who, following Iglesias' legacy, are working to build on Latin America's recent advances in social development. MORE

Citizen Security in Latin America

On May 11, the Dialogue held a roundtable discussion featuring Gino Costa, director of the Peruvian think tank Ciudad Nuestra, and Steven Dudley, co-director of Insight Crime. The event focused on the Dialogue's report Citizen Security in Latin America, authored by Costa. MORE

Future Trends in Remittances to Latin America and the Caribbean

On May 7, the Dialogue launched a new report, Future Trends in Remittances to Latin America and the Caribbean, based on survey data collected by Manuel Orozco that reveals factors behind the rise in remittances, including high-skilled female migrant labor, access to financial tools, and shifting commodity prices. MORE

A US-China-Latin America Triangle?

The China and Latin America Working Group's most recent publication critically analyzes the US-China-Latin America "triangular" relationship. Author Evan Ellis highlights interdependencies and identifies opportunities for bilateral and "poli-lateral" cooperation. A rapporteur's report provides highlights from the working group's February meeting.

Gender Equity in Latin America

On May 1, the Inter-American Dialogue held a discussion on a new World Bank report, entitled "Work & Family: Latin American and Caribbean Women in Search of a New Balance," featuring the World Bank's chief economist for Latin America and the Caribbean Augusto de la Torre. MORE 

The Nationalization of YPF

On April 16, Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner announced the government would take control of the country's largest oil producer, YPF. In El Colombiano, Michael Shifter argues that the move may boost popularity at home, but the economic and political costs remain uncertain. A Q&A in the Latin America Advisor analyzes the implications of YPF's nationalization. MORE

Journalists at Risk in Central America

On April 27, the Dialogue hosted a conversation on risks to journalists in Central America, featuring three of the region's top journalists: Carlos Dada of El Salvador, Julie López of Guatemala, and Carlos Fernando Chamorro of Nicaragua. MORE

Violence in Central America and US Policy Responses

On April 26, Senator Dianne Feinstein, chairman of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control, hosted a Dialogue discussion on rising criminal violence in Central America and what the US can do to help the region combat it. MORE

The IDB 2012 Macroeconomic Report

IDB vice president Santiago Levy presented the findings of "The World of Forking Paths: Latin America and the Caribbean Facing Global Economic Risks," at the Dialogue on April 25. The report identifies the region's critical vulnerabilities and how it can prepare for potential external shocks. MORE

The Catholic Church and Economic and Political Change in Cuba

On April 25 Roberto Veiga, editor of Espacio Laical in Havana and Cuba scholar Arturo Lopez-Levy discussed Cuba’s evolving political and economic situation and the role of the Catholic Church, including its activities to improve the welfare of the Cuban people and encourage a more open society and economy. MORE

Elections in the Dominican Republic: Where is the Country Headed?

On April 23, Dominican Republic experts Bernardo Vega, Eduardo Gamarra and Rosario Espinal participated in a roundtable exchange at the Dialogue on the DR’s upcoming elections and their significance for the future of the country. Though the two candidates face a tight race, most panelists agreed that, if elected, neither party would bring significant changes to the country. MORE

A Conversation with Hugo Martínez

On April 23, the Inter-American Dialogue held a private, off-the-record discussion with foreign minister of El Salvador Hugo Martínez. Martínez reviewed the results of the recent Summit of the Americas and shared his thoughts on pressing domestic issues such as security and economic growth. 

A Consequential Summit?

In an Infolatam article on April 13, Peter Hakim weighs in on the Summit of the Americas, to take place this weekend in Cartagena. Hakim posits that the anticipated discussion of two controversial issues—Cuba’s role in regional affairs and alternatives to current anti-drug strategies—could make this Summit particularly consequential, or it could simply lead to a heated and contentious exchange. MORE

A US-Brazil Respect Deficit

On April 9, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff made her first trip to the White House, engaging with President Obama on shared economic and educational goals. In a recent article, Peter Hakim called for meaningful economic agreements to move the relationship forward. Hakim was joined by experts Paulo Soltero and Joao Augusto de Castro Neves at a Dialogue press briefing on April 5 to discuss the visit. MORE

Countering Criminal Violence in Central America

At an April 9 roundtable discussion, the Council on Foreign Relations released a report on criminal violence in Central America written by Dialogue president Michael Shifter. In addition to analyzing the nature and consequences of violence in Central America, Shifter offers concrete recommendations for US policymakers.  MORE

Balance on the Border? US Media Portrayals of Mexico

The Dialogue's Michael Shifter and Rachel Schwartz analyze the US news media coverage Mexico through the lens of the drug war and immigration debates in the Cuban journal Temas. MORE

Drug Policy at the Summit of the Americas

The Colombian government has announced that drug policy will be on the agenda at the Cartagena Summit on April 14 and 15. On April 10, the Dialogue, with WOLA, hosted a conversation with Alejandro Hope, Ethan Nadlemann, Peter Reuter and John Walsh to discuss the prospects for this debate and its implications for drug policy in the hemisphere.  MORE

A New Vision for Mexico 2042

On April 3, the Dialogue held a discussion to launch a new report by the Centennial Group International (in collaboration with IMCO and Mexico-Evalua), “A New Vision for Mexico 2042: Achieving Prosperity for All.” MORE

Bold Education Reform in the City of Buenos Aires

On April 2, PREAL held a discussion with Esteban Bullrich, minister of education of the City of Buenos Aires, and Mercedes Miguel, director of educational planning for the ministry, on a series of bold reforms of the city's school system. MORE

Economic vs. Political Change in Cuba

In this New York Times video, Harvard professor and Dialogue member Jorge Domínguez discusses whether Cuba can continue to develop economically while maintaining its political system. MORE

Reforming Public Security in Honduras

On March 28, the Dialogue hosted a conversation with the president of the Congress of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández Alvarado, who discussed legislative efforts to achieve much-needed security reforms and tackle rising criminal violence. MORE

A Conversation with Alberto Otárola: Defense Minister of Peru 

The Dialogue hosted a discussion featuring Peru’s Defense Minister, Alberto Otarola. Minister Otarola discussed Peru’s defense agenda and the priorities of the Ollanta Humala Administration. He also shared his perspective on regional security trends and the prospects for more effective cooperation within Latin America and the United States. MORE

Human Rights and Extractive Industries in Peru 

The Dialogue hosted a discussion on human rights and extractive industries in Peru with Juan Jiménez Mayor (minister of justice and human rights), Guillermo Shinno Huamaní (vice minister of mines), and Iván Lanegra Quispe (vice minister of intercultural affairs). MORE 

PREAL's 2011 Program Highlights

During 2011, PREAL published its analyses on subjects ranging from the PISA results to teacher evaluations, and launched two national report cards. See its "2011 Program Highlights" for more on PREAL's contributions to education in Latin America.

Is Latin America Ready to Cope with Climate Change?

On March 20, the Dialogue hosted Juan José Daboub to discuss the Global Adaptation Index (GAIn). GAIN data shows that many countries in Latin America have both high vulnerability to climate change and low readiness to face the challenges it will bring. MORE

The Mexican Elections and the Future of Social Democracy in Mexico 

The Inter-American Dialogue and Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars hosted a discussion with Jesús Zambrano Grijalva, current president of the Party of the Democratic Revolution, Mexico’s largest party of the left on March 19. MORE

The Cartagena Summit: Agenda, Challenges, and Expectations

The Dialogue hosted a forum on the upcoming Summit of the Americas, which will take place in Cartagena, Colombia on April 14 to 15. Panelists discussed the outlook for the gathering where the hemisphere’s leaders will face a number of difficult issues. MORE

A Conversation with US Heads of Mission of the Andean Region

On March 15, the Dialogue held a discussion with the US ambassadors and Chargé d'Affaires currently serving in the Andean region, who analyzed political, economic, and security challenges and developments in US-Andean relations. MORE

The Panama Canal: Progress and Outlook

On March 14, the Dialogue hosted a forum with Alberto Alemán Zubieta, administrator of the Panama Canal Authority, who spoke on the implications of the recent expansion of the Panama Canal, a crucial factor in the country’s economic development. MORE

China's Latin America Policy

The Inter-American Dialogue hosted the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Director General for Latin America, Yang Wanming, for a discussion following the fifth annual US-China sub-dialogue on Latin America, which took place on March 8, 2012. MORE

Haiti, Looking Ahead

Mariano Fernández, secretary-general of the UN’s security mission to Haiti (MINUSTAH), reviewed the progress of Haiti's year-old government on March 9. He held that MINUSTAH has improved Haiti's security and rule of law, although challenges remain. MORE

Reaching Out to Women: A Conversation with Vanda Pignato

On March 8, International Women's Day, the Dialogue hosted the first lady and secretary of social inclusion of El Salvador Vanda Pignato, who discussed the "Ciudad Mujer" program that provides women one-stop access to a range of social services. MORE

Demystifying the Chinese Economy

World Bank Chief Economist Justin Lin and Carnegie Senior Fellow  Moisés Naím spoke at the Dialogue on March 7 on the global impact of China’s rapid economic expansion. Lin presented his new book, Demystifying the Chinese Economy. MORE

Puryear Gives Keynote Address at Virtual Educa Caribe Conference

On March 7, Dialogue Vice President Jeffrey Puryear gave the keynote address at the opening ceremony of the Virtual Educa Caribe Conference in Santiago, Dominican Republic. He spoke on the subject of "An Education Policy that works." MORE

A Conversation with Andrés Allamand, Defense Minister of Chile 

On March 6, the Dialogue hosted Chile’s Defense Minister Andrés Allamand, who discussed the defense agenda priorities of the Sebastian Piñera administration. He also shared his perspective about regional security trends and the prospects for more effective cooperation within Latin America and with the United States.  MORE

Cuba, Obama, and the Americas

In this recent article in Infolatam, Dialogue president emeritus Peter Hakim discusses the US response to recent calls to allow Cuba to participate in the upcoming Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia.  MORE

The Argentine Economy: Near and Longer-Term Prospects

On March 1, the Dialogue hosted Argentine economic analysts--former finance minister Daniel Marx, who directs Quantum Finanzas and IDB’s executive director for Argentina, Eugenio Diaz Bonilla to discuss discussion on Argentina’s economic outlook.  MORE

Meeting of the Energy Policy Group

The Dialogue convened the sixth meeting of its Energy Policy Group on February 27. With discoveries of massive shale gas and deep water oil reserves in the Americas, and the potential for political change in various energy producing countries, participants predicted major shifts in the hemispheric energy market.  MORE

Citizen Security in the Americas Roundtable Examines Homicides

The second meeting in a series on citizen security in the Americas sponsored by the Inter-American Development Bank and the Inter-American Dialogue hosted Angela Me, chief of statistics for the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. Me presented the 2011 Global Study on Homicide, and its implications for the region.  MORE

Henrique Capriles' Moment 

Henrique Capriles, the 39 year old Venezuelan presidential candidate, faces a difficult campaign period, according to Dialogue President Michael Shifter. Although the opposition has never been more united, it remains to be seen this will be sufficient to overcome Chávez’s well-funded political machine.  The Dialogue's Latin America Advisor ran a Q&A on Capriles' election chances s on February 27. MORE  

Venezuela's Presidential Elections: Role of Independent Voters

On February 22, the Dialogue hosted a discussion featuring Father José Virtuoso, rector of the Catholic University Andrés Bello, who will share findings of a recent study on Venezuela’s non-aligned voters, a significant segment of the electorate who could play a key role in the upcoming presidential contest. MORE

Social Inclusion in Peru

On February 22, the Dialogue hosted a conversation with Peru's minister of social inclusion Carolina Trivelli. The Minister discussed the new social programs launched under President Humala targeting women, children, and the elderly, as well as challenges to reducing inequality in Peru. MORE

Latin America's Security Situation 

The Dialogue just published, "The Security Situation in Latin America", by Gino Costa, a leading expert who served as Peru's interior minister under Toledo. Costa reviews 5 key indicators: homicide, victimization, perception of insecurity, trust in police, and the prison system to explain Latin America's growing insecurity. MORE

Chinese Loans to Latin America

On February 17th, the Dialogue launched a new report by Kevin Gallagher, "The New Banks in Town: Chinese Finance in Latin America," which offers the first comprehensive summary of China’s lending practices in Latin America and the Caribbean. MORE