Between 2017-2019, and with the support of the Ford Foundation, Global Americans convened a High-Level Working Group on Inter-American Relations, comprising former policymakers, business leaders, and scholars, to discuss bipartisan and cross-regional ways that the U.S. Government can build and improve upon the achievements of the past two decades of inter-American relations. The Working Group released a first round of five papers in April 2018 and released an additional three papers in November 2019.
The group was co-chaired by:
- Enrique García, Bolivia – Former President of CAF: Development Bank of Latin America
- María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar, Colombia – Former Foreign Minister and Ambassador to the United Nations
- Billie Miller, Barbados – Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade
- Arturo Sarukhan, Mexico – Former Ambassador to the United States
- Alexander Watson, United States – Senior Counselor at Hills & Company, Former Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs
Former co-chairs:
- Carolina Barco, Colombia – Former Foreign Minister and Ambassador to the United States
- Marc Grossman, United States – Vice Chairmen of the Cohen Group, Former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
Representing civil society, academia, and the policymaking and business communities in the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean, the working group met in Washington, DC, Colombia and Mexico to produce a series of consensus reports.
On November 4, 2019, the working group published three papers:
The Venezuelan Refugee Crisis: Regional Responsibility
The Role of Latin America and the Caribbean in Addressing New Global Challenges
On April 18, 2018, the working group published five papers:
Responding to Growing Influences from Outside the Hemisphere: Setting a New Inter-American Agenda
Addressing Corruption in Latin America and the Caribbean Furthers U.S. National Interests
An Improved Strategy to Fight Drug Trafficking, Organized Crime and Corruption in the Hemisphere
Past Events
September 29, 2017, Washington, D.C. – Working group launch
November 9, 2017, Bogotá – First discussion round
February, 2018, Mexico City – Second discussion round
March 19, 2018, Washington, D.C. – Final discussion round with co-chairs
April 18-20, 2018, Washington, D.C. – Release and presentation of papers, including a public event on Capitol Hill
May and June, 2018, Houston & Dallas, Texas – Presentations to business communities and universities, and the World Affairs Councils of Houston and Dallas
February 4, 2019, Washington, D.C. – Working group reception at the Embassy of Colombia in Washington
February 5, 2019, Washington, D.C. – Second discussion round for the second round of papers
August and September, 2019, New York City, NY – Final discussion round
November 4, 2019, Washington, D.C. – Release and presentation of second round of papers
Partner Organizations
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