Brookings: Topics - Central America

Foreign Policy

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:23:32 GMT

The U.S. and the international community face great challenges in the 21st century—globalization offers more freedom and prosperity, but also new threats to our security. The Foreign Policy Studies scholars and research help policymakers and the public address these crucial issues.

State of Siege in Honduras

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

On Sunday, the de facto president of Honduras, Roberto Micheletti, declared a state of siege in the country for 45 days. Kevin Casas-Zamora believes this move diminishes the hope that elections in November will be viewed as legitimate and says Micheletti should lift the siege and show restraint if he wants the crisis to end.

Courting Disaster in Honduras

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

When the deposed president of Honduras, Manual Zelaya, returned to Tequcigalpa this week, he dramatically altered the ongoing political crisis in the country, writes Kevin Casas-Zamora. Casas-Zamora believes this new development makes reaching a political settlement more difficult, and says negotiated solutions should be expanded so that the November elections can be carried out as scheduled.

Regional Workshop on Protection and Response in Situations of Natural Disaster

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Central America is a region constantly exposed to risks from natural disasters. It is important for governments to develop a human rights based approach to disaster response in order to decrease the likelihood of human rights violations of the victims of natural disasters. In order to promote the development of such strategies as well as strengthen the cooperation of humanitarian and human rights agencies in the field, CONRED, CEPREDENAC, and the Brookings-Bern Project, with the support of the Embassy of Switzerland, convened a workshop on disaster response and protection in situations of natural disaster in El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala.

Protection in Natural Disasters

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

People affected by natural disasters such as floods, cyclones, earthquakes, volcanoes, and other calamities often face urgent protection needs that may not be immediately visible to humanitarian actors caught up in trying to provide water, food, shelter, medical care and other lifesaving assistance. In this paper, Elizabeth Ferris and Diane Paul provide an overview of protection challenges confronting those affected by natural disasters.

The Careful U.S. Diplomacy on Honduras

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Kevin Casas-Zamora joined CFR.org's Bernard Gwertzman to discuss Honduran President Manuel Zelaya's ousting as well as how the United States has and should continue to respond. Casas-Zamora said that by putting diplomatic weight behind regional leaders, the Obama administration has demonstrated sensitivity to Latin American sensibilities.

Crisis in Honduras

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The June 28 military ousting of Honduran President Manuel Zelaya capped weeks of tension brought about by his attempt to amend the constitution to enable reelection. Kevin Casas-Zamora says this coup is a step backward for democracy in Latin America and he urges the United States to both pay close attention to the situation and to show friends and foes in the hemisphere that Washington sides with democracy.

The Merida Initiative and Central America: The Challenges of Containing Public Insecurity and Criminal Violence

Sun, 31 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The rising level of violence in Central America, as well as Mexico, has created sensational headlines and Hollywood style footage on the nightly news. Diana Negroponte examines the reasons for the growth in public insecurity and crime within El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras to determine an appropriate response.

The Merida Initiative and Central America

Tue, 26 May 2009 10:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

May 26, 2009, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM

On May 26, the Latin America Initiative at Brookings and the Washington Office for Latin America hosted a discussion on the Central American component of the Merida Initiative, a 3-year program that provides funding for a wide-range of drug interdiction, prevention and intervention activities throughout Mexico, Central America and select Caribbean countries.

'Guatemalastan': How to Prevent a Failed State in our Midst

Fri, 22 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Kevin Casas-Zamora argues that the weakness of Guatemala as a state, the pervasive violence, the widespread corruption and the country’s strategic location for drug trafficking are creating a very dangerous cocktail. He believes reform is necessary but also notes it will be quite difficult.

Obama off to Good Start in Latin America

Mon, 04 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Abe Lowenthal writes that among the important accomplishments by President Obama in his first 100 days has been a major step forward in U.S. relations with our neighbors in Latin America and the Caribbean. Lowenthal outlines policies the United States should pursue in the Americas and reminds the administration to keep it simple in the region.

Panama at the Polls: A Study in Political Weakness

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

On May 3, Panama will elect a new president. Kevin Casas-Zamora explores the campaigns of the incumbent and challenger and examines why Panama can be viewed as one of the better functioning and most stable polities in Latin America.

The Summit of the Americas and Regional Development Banks

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 09:51:07 GMT

Mauricio Cárdenas, director of the Latin America Initiative, says the focus of the fifth Summit of the Americas will be the global economic crisis. He also explains that the nations need to agree on strengthening regional development banks and that certain countries need open trade.

President Obama and the Summit of the Americas

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Key differences persist among the many countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. In the leadup to the fifth Summit of the Americas, Abraham Lowenthal says Obama would do well to remember Ronald Reagan's comment on returning from his first trip to South America as president: "These Latin American countries are all very different from each other."

Previewing the Summit of the Americas

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 10:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

April 14, 2009, 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM

The Obama administration faces a number of challenges in Latin America. The fifth Summit of the Americas offers leaders of the Western Hemisphere an opportunity to partner on a new and robust agenda that spans global economic, social, energy and climate change issues. On April 14, Brookings experts discussed the critical issues facing the leaders attending the summit and proposed recommendations for action.

Will Obama Retreat on Democracy in Latin America?

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

As the Summit of the Americas draws near, Ted Piccone analyzes Obama's debut before the hemisphere’s main gathering of democratically elected leaders and discusses what should come from the meeting. Piccone believes Obama should lead by example by implementing human rights reforms at home and by reminding colleagues they share a responsibility to follow universal democratic standards.

The Fifth Summit of the Americas: Recommendations for Action

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Leaders of the Western Hemisphere gathered in Trinidad and Tobago on April 17-19, 2009 for the fifth Summit of the Americas. In a series of commentary articles focused on the summit's agenda and key challenges, Brookings experts discuss critical economic, social, energy and climate change issues facing the leaders attending the summit and propose recommendations for policy action.

Weak States and the Summit of the Americas

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 17:09:56 GMT

Vanda Felbab-Brown previews the Summit of the Americas talks opening this week in Trinidad and Tobago and outlines some of the key political, economic and social issues up for discussion, including the role of the United States.

The Scouting Report: Previewing the Summit of the Americas

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 12:30:00 GMT

Event Information:

April 08, 2009, 12:30 PM to 01:30 PM

The Obama administration faces any number of challenges in Latin America, from Cuba to Colombia, from Bolivia to Venezuela. Mauricio Cárdenas previewed the upcoming Summit of the Americas and took your questions on U.S. policy in the region during a live web chat with Politico's Fred Barbash.

The Obama Administration and the Americas : Agenda for Change

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The Obama administration inherits a daunting set of domestic and international policy challenges. The Obama Administration and the Americas, however, argues that the new administration should focus early and strategically on Latin America.

El Salvador’s Democratic Test

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Kevin Casas-Zamora analyzes the election of Mauricio Funes as El Salvador's new president. Casas-Zamora argues Funes faces an uphill battle in preaching moderation, but that the U.S. would do well to welcome his election and offer him tangible support for key social reforms.

Latin America, the Global Financial Crisis and the Velocity of Business

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

As the effects of the financial crisis continue to be felt across the globe, much of Latin America should be well prepared to weather the global financial storms with more opportunity for growth. In a speech at the Economist's 11th Annual Conference on Latin America Private Equity, held in Miami Florida, Mauricio Cárdenas discusses how the United States and Latin American countries can work together, not only on financing and aid, but also on issues like trade, migration, energy, and climate change.

Latin America's Economic Outlook for 2009: No Time for Optimism

Thu, 22 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

What is the forecast for Latin American economies in 2009? Brookings Fellow Mauricio Cardenas and Arturo Galindo of the Inter-American Development Bank explain why the Latin America economic outlook for 2009 does not appear particularly grim—and even offers the prospect of limited but continued growth—despite the sharp recession in the U.S., a key influencer on the region's economic growth patterns.

Central America in 2009: Off the U.S. Radar

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

As Barack Obama prepares to take office, Central America is falling off the radar among the many accumulated problems to address, domestic and international. Abraham Lowenthal examines four Central American countries and compares their changes and growth. He recommends modest investments in the region for the new Obama administration.

Re-Thinking U.S.-Latin American Relations: A Hemispheric Partnership for a Turbulent World

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 10:30:00 GMT

Event Information:

November 24, 2008, 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM

On November 24, the Brookings Institution hosted the Partnership for the Americas Commission for the release of their report, “Re-thinking U.S.-Latin American Relations: A Hemispheric Partnership for a Turbulent World," which offers a set of policy recommendations to the next U.S. administration to meet the challenges facing the U.S. and Latin America, from economic and poverty policies to security, foreign policy and energy.

Re-Thinking U.S.-Latin American Relations

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

With the opportunity of a new U.S. administration and Congress, Brookings’s Partnership for the Americas Commission released its final report noting the need for a new hemispheric partnership to address key transnational challenges and providing specific policy recommendations on five key areas: energy and climate change, migration, trade, organized crime and drug trafficking and U.S.-Cuban relations.

Pay Attention to Latin America

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

In a new op-ed outlining the recommendations by Brookings’s Partnership for the Americas Commission, co-chairs Ernesto Zedillo and Thomas Pickering detail the need for stronger hemispheric relations and outline five areas for potential policy partnerships for the next administration.

Displacement, Natural Disasters, and Human Rights

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

In the course of the past year, over 400 natural disasters took 16,000 lives, affected close to 250 million people and displaced many millions. But many humanitarian actors continue to see natural disasters and those displaced by them as marginal to the central thrust of humanitarian action: responding to those affected by conflict.

Top 10 Global Economic Challenges Facing America's 44th President

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

As President-Elect Obama prepares to lead the United States, what are the top global economic challenges facing the new president and his advisors and how should the new administration address them? A new report by Brookings global economic and development experts ranks the top 10 issues and details specific ideas for how to tackle the toughest challenges.

A Dialogue: Engaging the Latin American World

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

In October and November of 2007, Brookings Scholars Michael O'Hanlon, Diana Negroponte and Leonardo Martinez-Diaz had an e-mail exchange with prominent Latin American scholars with a variety of perspectives to discuss the issues facing Latin America.

Improving Government Expenditure Performance in Latin America and the Caribbean: World Bank Experiences

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 12:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

October 30, 2007, 12:00 PM to

Internal Displacement in the Americas

Wed, 18 Feb 2004 09:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

February 18, 2004, 9:00 AM to 05:00 PM
February 20, 2004, 9:00 AM to 05:00 PM

There are an estimated 3.3 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the Americas, the majority in Colombia. Most IDPs in the Americas are in need of humanitarian aid, protection and support for reintegration. The first regional seminar on internal displacement in the Americas was held in Mexico City on 18-20 February 2004, hosted by the Government of Mexico and co-sponsored by the Brookings-SAIS Project and the Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General on Internally Displaced Persons.

Interview with Afro-Colombian IDP Leaders

Mon, 01 Dec 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Interview with Afro-Colombian IDP Leader

The Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement: Their Use and Application in the Americas

Wed, 26 Mar 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Statement by Gimena Sanchez-Grazoli on Peru and the Americas (3/26/03)

An Immigration Bargain

Fri, 22 Mar 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Robert Leiken, Nonresident Senior Fellow, the Brookings Institution, in The Boston Globe, March 22, 2002

Immigration Accord Would Help Mexico Lock Our 'Back Door'

Mon, 18 Mar 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Robert Leiken, Nonresident Senior Fellow, the Brookings Institution, in The Arizona Republic, March 18, 2002

Spatial and Temporal Patterns in Civil Violence: Guatemala 1977-1986

Fri, 01 Feb 2002 00:00:00 GMT

CSED Working Paper No. 26: Spatial and Temporal Patterns in Civil Violence: Guatemala 1977-1986

Internal Displacement in the Americas: Some Distinctive Features

Tue, 01 May 2001 00:00:00 GMT

The Americas today account for only some ten percent of the world's internally displaced persons —two to two and one half million of a total of twenty to twenty-five million— yet the continent has experienced some of the worst cases of displacement as well as some of the most successful remedial efforts. Whether in Central America or Peru in the 1980s and early 1990s, or today in Colombia, internal displacement in the Americas has pronounced features that distinguish it from other parts of the world.

Guatemala after the Peace Accords

Fri, 01 Jan 1999 00:00:00 GMT

The essays in this volume evaluate progress made in the implementation of the peace agreements in Guatemala and signal some of the key challenges for future political and institutional reform.

Mexico : The Remaking of an Economy, Second Edition

Tue, 01 Sep 1998 00:00:00 GMT

Nora Lustig updates the original book and analyzes the possible explanations for Mexico's relative slow growth in the early nineties and the causes of the peso crisis at the end of 1994.

Governing Mexico : Political Parties and Elections

Mon, 01 Jun 1998 00:00:00 GMT

This volume offers an overview of party politics in Mexico, with a special focus on the 1997 mid-term congressional elections.

Mexico : Assessing Neo-Liberal Reform

Mon, 01 Jun 1998 00:00:00 GMT

This book looks at the impact of economic reform and political liberalization on political institutions, state-society relations, and economic policymaking in the aftermath of the 1994-95 Mexican economic crisis.