By Ann All
For many residents of Mexico, it rankled when Latin America got only a passing mention in a debate on foreign policy held shortly before the 2012 U.S. presidential race. It was Republican candidate Mitt Romney, not eventual winner President Barack Obama, who brought up Latin America, saying the region offered a “huge opportunity” for the U.S.
By Tarun George
How bad must a situation become before you write a letter to the President? Well that’s the US work visa process for you. Around this time last year, a group of Indian and American IT companies sent a letter to President Obama, asking him to intervene in an immigration policy, which they claimed, was seriously hurting their businesses. The firms backing this appeal were not only the Indian heavy-hitters like Wipro, TCS and Cognizant, but also global giants such as Accenture, eBay, HP, Intel and Microsoft. The fact that the letter was signed by the US Chamber of Commerce only underscores the seriousness of the issue.
President Obama Schedules Visits to Mexico and Costa Rica
March 28th, 2013By Narayan Ammachchi
President Obama is set to visit Mexico and Costa Rica in the first week of May to strengthen economic ties.
“This trip is an important opportunity to reinforce the deep cultural, familial, and economic ties that so many Americans share with Mexico and Central America,” states the press release from the White House.
Obama will meet his Mexican counterpart President Peña Nieto and discuss ways to deepen the economic and commercial partnerships with the two countries. In Costa Rica, the President is slated to meet with President Laura Chinchilla, as well as heads of state of the other Central American countries and the Dominican Republic.
“The trip will be an important chance to discuss our collective efforts to promote economic growth and development in Central America and our ongoing collaboration on citizen security,” stated the White House.
Commentary: Presidential Election is a Win for Mexico, Regardless of Outcome
November 6th, 2012
Should he prevail, will Obama pay more attention to Mexico?
By Tim Wilson
Latin America, including Mexico, has received scant attention in the U.S. presidential election. While it’s easy to see why President Obama and Mitt Romney are preoccupied with the U.S. economy, analysts agree that the eventual winner should put Mexico on his agenda, as the country represents more opportunity now than during the prior election in 2008.
US Pledges Stronger Ties with Argentina
December 15th, 2011Source: Hispanic Business
President Obama said the U.S. will strengthen relations with Argentina, after Cristina Fernandez began her second term as Argentine president last week.
In an interview with Argentine newspaper La Nacion published Monday, Obama said closer bilateral ties will help the two countries “to achieve even more.”
The U.S. and Argentina will openly discuss new challenges of the bilateral relations in a responsible way to be sure that any disagreement can be effectively resolved, the report cited Obama as saying.
Obama also said he hopes Argentina will deepen cooperation with the international community in countering terrorism, curbing drug smuggling and tackling the Iranian nuclear issue.
Obama and Fernandez met at a G20 summit in Cannes, France, in November when they discussed cooperation in science, technology and energy.
During the meeting, the two leaders promised to expand cooperation in the peaceful use of the space and joint research on global climate change, …
Brazil’s Spectacular Rise Forces a Key Question: What is the Country Really Made Of?
December 9th, 2011By Luke Bujarski
Brazil has a lot going for it these days, particularly in light of the anemic growth being witnessed in the developed world. Discoveries of oil reserves, a growing consumer market, stabilized inflation, and the run-up to the Olympics and World Cup have caught the imagination of the international community. In a recent forum held at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City, the term “Global Brazil” was even used to highlight the country’s critical role in solving some of the world’s biggest problems, including climate change, rising food costs and global energy demand.
FTAs with South Korea, Colombia and Panama Win US Congressional Approval
October 13th, 2011Source: The New York Times
Congress passed three long-awaited free trade agreements on Wednesday, ending a political standoff that has stretched across two presidencies. The move offered a rare moment of bipartisan accord at a time when Republicans and Democrats are bitterly divided over the role that government ought to play in reviving the sputtering economy.
The approval of the deals with South Korea, Colombia and Panama is a victory for President Obama and proponents of the view that foreign trade can drive America’s economic growth in the face of rising protectionist sentiment in both political parties. They are the first trade agreements to pass Congress since Democrats broke a decade of Republican control in 2007.
All three agreements cleared both chambers with overwhelming Republican support just one day after Senate Republicans prevented action on Mr. Obama’s jobs bill.
The passage of the trade deals is important primarily as …
By Patrick Haller
When President Obama made a tour of Brazil, Chile and El Salvador in March 2011, many saw this as a signal of his commitment to the region, and a positive sign that the US would be endeavoring to shore-up its trade relations there.
Sao Paulo — Marco Stefanini, founder and President of Stefanini IT Solutions, a global provider of solutions for the IT market, will be representing the information technology sector in the next meeting of the CEO Forum, to be held in Brasilia on March 19 and 20.
Along with CEOs of companies like Citibank, Coca-Cola, GM, Intel, Motorola, Cummins, and Gerdau, etc., the newly elected President of Brazil, Dilma Russef, and the President of the United States, Barack Obama, will be attending. The goal of the CEO Forum, created in 2007, is to foster trade integration between Brazil and the United States with representatives of the government and the private sector of both countries.
The focus areas of the Forum are the promotion of trade, industry and investment; the improvement of competitiveness; cooperation in education and human resources development; the promotion of technological exchange; and support for the free movement of goods.
Along with …
Obama Plans First Visit to Latin America: Brazil, Chile and El Salvador will Play Host
January 25th, 2011President Barack Obama says he will travel to Latin America in March.
His first trip to South American, it would come on the anniversary of President John f. Kennedy’s outreach to Latin American nations though his Alliance for Progress.
Obama will travel to Brazil, Chile and El Salvador. He attended a 2009 Latin American summit in Trinidad and Tobago. At the time, he vowed to recast the U.S. relationship with the region.
El Salvador President Mauricio Funes met with Obama last March in Washington. Both Chile and Brazil have elected new presidents within the past 12 months.
The region has typically received less attention from U.S. presidents, who have been more concerned with strategic interests in the Middle East and developing relationships with European and Asian industrial economies.
