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Latin America

Latin America and the Caribbean: Illicit Drug Trafficking and U.S. Counterdrug Programs

Posted Fri, 04/30/2010 - 00:00

Drug trafficking is viewed as a primary threat to citizen security and U.S. interests in Latin America and the Caribbean despite decades of anti-drug efforts by the United States and partner governments. The production and trafficking of popular illicit drugs--cocaine, marijuana, opiates, and methamphetamine--generates a multi-billion dollar black market in which Latin American criminal and terrorist organizations thrive. These groups challenge state authority in source and transit countries where governments are often fragile and easily corrupted.

Trafficking in Persons in Latin America and the Caribbean

Posted Fri, 10/16/2009 - 01:00

Trafficking in persons (TIP) for the purpose of exploitation is a lucrative criminal activity that is of major concern to the United States and the international community. According to the most recent U.S. State Department estimates, roughly 800,000 people are trafficked across borders each year. If trafficking within countries is included in the total world figures, official U.S. estimates are that some 2 to 4 million people are trafficked annually.

U.S.-Latin America Trade: Recent Trends and Policy Issues

Posted Thu, 09/03/2009 - 00:00

Trade is one of the more enduring issues in contemporary U.S.-Latin America relations. Latin America is far from the largest U.S. regional trade partner, but historically is the fastest-growing one. Between 1998 and 2009, total U.S. merchandise trade (exports plus imports) with Latin America grew by 82% compared to 72% for Asia (driven largely by China), 51% for the European Union, 221% for Africa, and 64% for the world. Mexico composed 11.7% of total U.S. merchandise trade in 2009 and is the largest Latin American trade partner.

Latin America: Terrorism Issues

Posted Wed, 09/02/2009 - 00:00

Since the September 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, U.S. attention to terrorism in Latin America has intensified, with an increase in bilateral and regional cooperation. In its April 2009 Country Reports on Terrorism, the State Department maintained that terrorism in the region was primarily perpetrated by terrorist organizations in Colombia and by the remnants of radical leftist Andean groups. Overall, however, the report maintained that the threat of a transnational terrorist attack remained low for most countries in the hemisphere.

Financial Regulation and Oversight: Latin American Financial Crises and Reform: Lessons from Chile

Posted Tue, 08/11/2009 - 00:00

The 111th Congress has taken a broad approach to capturing the lessons on financial crises as part of the effort to evaluate possibilities for revamping the U.S. financial regulatory system. Latin America stands out as one region that has survived multiple financial crises, and in the aftermath of such devastation, many countries undertook comprehensive regulatory reform. Although a smaller developing economy, Chile provides one important example.

The 2009 Influenza A(H1N1) "Swine Flu" Outbreak: U.S. Responses to Global Human Cases

Posted Mon, 07/20/2009 - 00:00

In April 2009, a novel influenza virus began to spread around the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) refers to the virus as Influenza A(H1N1). The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other Administration officials refer to it as 2009 H1N1 flu. Throughout this report, the virus is referred to as H1N1. Although H1N1 does not appear to be as lethal as H5N1 avian influenza, which reemerged in 2005, the virus is slightly more lethal than seasonal flu and it continues to spread.

Fifth Summit of the Americas, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, April 2009: Background, Agenda, and Expectations

Posted Wed, 06/03/2009 - 00:00

The fifth Summit of the Americas in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago scheduled to be held on
April 17-19, 2009 will be the first hemispheric forum for President-elect Barack Obama to
engage with leaders from across Latin America and the Caribbean. The Port of Spain Summit will
also be the first meeting of all 34 democratic heads of government from Latin America, the
Caribbean, Canada, and the United States since the contentious 2005 Summit in Mar del Plata,
Argentina.

China's Foreign Aid Activities in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia

Posted Sun, 03/22/2009 - 00:00

In the past several years, the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) has bolstered its diplomatic presence and garnered international goodwill through its financing of infrastructure and natural resource development projects, assistance in the carrying out of such projects, and large economic investments in many developing countries. This report examines Chinas economic impact in three regions Africa, Latin America (Western Hemisphere), and Southeast Asia with an emphasis on bilateral foreign assistance. Chinas foreign aid is difficult to quantify.