The Washington Office on Latin America unveiled its plan for an overhaul of U.S.Latin America at the National Press Club on September 18th, launching a new vision for this country’s relationship with our hemispheric neighbors. The plan, entitled “Forging New Ties,” represents new thinking on a critical area of U.S. policy and will be a key document in foreign-policy debates in the 2008 presidential campaign and the next administration. “Forging New Ties” shows how the United States can rebuild its standing in Latin America by putting relations on a new footing based on engagement, respect, and collective action on common challenges.
PRESS RELEASE
A NEW U.S. POLICY TOWARD LATIN AMERICA:
WOLA UNVEILS ITS PLAN FOR 2008 AND BEYOND
The plan, entitled “Forging New Ties,” represents new thinking on a critical area of U.S. policy and will be a key document in foreign-policy debates in the 2008 presidential campaign and the next administration. “Forging New Ties” shows how the United States can rebuild its standing in Latin America by putting relations on a new footing based on engagement, respect, and collective action on common challenges.
Key points include:
- U.S. policy should embrace its essential interest in helping Latin America end extreme poverty, inequality and exclusion
- Trade agreements should raise living standards broadly in Latin America, not simply push up growth figures while masking a widening income gap
- With crime and violence – including street crime, gangs and narco-violence – on the rise in Latin America, a key opportunity for increased cooperation with the United States is in citizen security and strengthening the rule of law.
- The next administration should stress diplomacy and common interests over confrontation in relations with Latin America. Venezuela is one clear case.
WOLA, the research and advocacy organization founded in 1974, held a launch event on Tuesday, September 18, with speakers including:
Mark Schneider, International Crisis Group, and former Assistant Administrator of U.S. Agency for International Development in the Clinton Administration
William LeoGrande, Dean of the Department of Government, American University
Oscar Chacón, Executive Director, National Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities
Gabriela Lemus, Policy Director, League of United Latin American Citizens
Geoff Thale, Program Director, WOLA
For more information, please contact Roger Atwood at Ratwood@wola.org or Kristina DeMain at Kdemain@wola.org, or call (202) 797 2171.
