Recently, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken toured Latin America to reaffirm its commitment to the allies amid concerns that neglect of the hemisphere has let China make economic inroads. He hopes that Latin America’s new leaders will continue to maintain a free-enterprise-friendly approach to nurture U.S. ties.
Meanwhile, many counties have their own challenges to consider. In Brazil, everyone waits anxiously to see what will happen with the country’s election results. In Venezuela, a total of seven Americans, five of which were held in captivity for over five years, were recently released in a prisoner swap. In Ecuador, prison gang violence has overwhelmed an under-resourced and overcrowded system leading to a state of emergency in three provinces. In Columbia, peace talks between its government and the National Liberation Army are set to resume. In Chile, the country just recently elected its youngest-ever president, a former student activist. That is in addition to the fact that Peru is the number two copper producer in the world.
With an increasingly ambitious China, the largest importer of goods and services from Brazil and Chile, and the second largest from Argentina and Peru, and the trend toward authoritarianism in this part of the world (actually a global trend), what are the options for the U.S. in the future? How can we solidify our relationships with Latin American countries?
Please join us for what will be a lively discussion about a topic that evolves regularly.
For more details contact:
Ellen Murry: ellen@wacaustin.org
Polina Anastassieva: polina@wacaustin.org
