Today, defense ministers from the 12 South American countries that make up UNASUR are meeting to mark the beginning of the South American Defense Council (CDS) - a body that becomes official tomorrow. Unlike NATO, the Council "does not aim to create a military force that operates internationally," Chilean Defense Minister José Goñi told EFE. Instead, it hopes to serve as a forum where the 12 nations can come together to improve confidence, communication and military cooperation in the region...
On Sunday, U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press. In addition to talking about Iraq and the difference between President Obama and President Bush, Gates spoke about the current security concerns in Mexico and the potential for more U.S. – Mexico cooperation in the fight against the drug cartels (watch the video here). Gates mentioned that the current climate of U.S. – Mexico relations...
The U.S. Congress is nearing completion of the 2009 federal budget. On Wednesday, the House passed the "omnibus" spending bill, which combines ten sections of the budget, with a recorded vote of 398 - 24. The Senate will take it up next week.
One of the bill's ten sections is the 2009 Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations Act. This section funds U.S. foreign assistance programs, including...
The Obama Administration has not announced its appointments for important Latin America-focused posts, including assistant secretary of State for Western Hemisphere affairs, deputy assistant secretary of Defense for Western Hemisphere affairs, or National Security Council senior director on Latin America. However, that does not stop the speculation. Foreign Policy magazine's The Cable blog has been a frequent source of the latest rumors. Here are their speculations about who might get these top Latin America jobs. While these...
Today, Colombian and Bolivian newspapers covered the release of a new report by the International Narcotics Control Board of the United Nations. However, it appears that the majority of the...
On Sunday, President Hugo Chávez bolstered his "mandate" in Venezuela when the "Yes" vote triumphed in a referendum to lift constitutional limits on presidential and political terms - despite the failure of a referendum that included the same question only a year ago. This victory resulted in many congratulatory remarks from governments in the region - ranging from a close friend, Bolivian President Evo...