A New Day in U.S.-Latin America Relations

Submitted by Andres Ramirez on 3/26/09

"... the future security and prosperity of the United States is fundamentally tied to the future of the Americas. If we don't turn away from the policies of the past, then we won't be able to shape the future."
President Barack Obama

The above excerpt is from the speech that then Senator Barack Obama delivered in Miami regarding his views on U.S.-Latin America relations in May 2008. The statement served as the theme of our event as we discussed the opportunities that exist for the new administration as President Obama prepares to attend the Fifth Summit of the Americas. I wanted to take some time to thank everyone who attended or watched the event today. It was truly an enriching and informative session. For those who were not able to join us today, we will be uploading video of the event on our YouTube channel in the next few days. I especially want to thank U.S. Senator Robert Menendez for joining us today and serving as our keynote speaker. His leadership on this issue is immensely important, and we look forward to his guidance and vision.

In addition to U.S. Senator Menendez, I want to especially thank all of our speakers:
Nelson Cunningham, Managing Partner - McLarty Associates;
Jane Thery, Secretariat for External Relations - OAS;
Dr. Paul Byam, Embassy of Trinidad & Tobago;
Ambassador Jose Pinelo, Bolivian Ambassador to the OAS;
Ambassador Carolina Barco, Colombian Ambassador to the U.S.;
Honorable Samuel Lewis Navarro, First Vice President & Foreign Minister of Panama;
Ambassador Jeffrey Davidow, White House Advisor for the Summit of the Americas;
U.S. Representative Eliot Engel, Chair - Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere Affairs; and
Ambassador Luis Gallegos, Ecuadorian Ambassador to the U.S.