The Biden Administration: A new beginning for the relations between Latin America and the United States?

IE School of Global and Public Affairs

EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENT

On March 5, the IE School of Global and Public Affairs’ Transatlantic Relations Initiative and the Observatory on Latin American Politics and Economics held an event moderated by its director, Germán Ríos. Michael Shifter, president of the Dialogue and Susana Malcorra, Dialogue member and dean for the IE School of Global and Public Affairs, spoke about the relations between Latin America and the United States.

COMMENTS BY MICHAEL SHIFTER:

"I think there will be more balance between domestic considerations and national interest and values on the other hand, which was completely absent during the Trump administration."

“Human rights only came up in the previous administration with regard to Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua. It didn’t exist in Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, El Salvador, Honduras and other places at all.”

“Joe Biden has a plan for Central America that’s clearly spelled out and consists of an effort to try to attack root causes that are forcing a lot of Central Americans to flee and come to the United States.”

“I think style is not a substitute for substance, but it also shouldn’t be dismissed; it matters that people are treated with a sense of dignity and so forth. This is not the solution to the problems, but it does open the way for more substantive changes that could be more productive”.

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READ MORE ABOUT THE EVENT HERE.