Latin America

Speakers: John Feeley, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, U.S. Department of State Arturo Sarukhan, Chairman, Global Solutions/A Podesta Company; former Mexican Ambassador to the U.S. Jorge Suarez-Velez, Founding Partner, SP Capital Duncan Wood, Director, Mexico Institute, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars Moderator: Leon Krauze, Anchor, Univision KMEX, Los Angeles. New national leadership in Mexico, and renewed national leadership in the United States, create the conditions for redefining the two countries' relationship. In recent months, the headlines about drug violence and corruption have been superseded by a narrative about the thriving Mexican economy, the "Aztec Tiger." Current political trends in the U.S. have raised expectations of progress on the issues of migration and cross-border security. Amid this opening, our panel will focus on the economic alliance between the U.S. and Mexico, with a special emphasis on the energy and financial sectors. What kinds of business collaborations and financial initiatives can promote further prosperity in both countries, which already trade $1.5 billion in goods each day?

Speakers: Cate Ambrose, President and Executive Director, Latin American Private Equity & Venture Capital Association David Dreier, Chairman, Annenberg-Dreier Commission; former U.S. Congressman Carlos Elizondo, Professor, Center for Research and Teaching in Economics Eduardo Moron, Director, Economic Studies, Latin American Reserve Fund Moderator: Duncan Wood, Director, Mexico Institute, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. What is the new model for Latin America? For the past decade, Brazil has captured worldwide attention as it joined the ranks of the planet's 10 top economies and was rewarded with the Olympics and the World Cup. However, Brazil's growth has stalled, and Mexico has reasserted itself as the fastest-growing of Latin America's large economies, despite its own internal issues. Meanwhile, Colombia has enjoyed a tremendous resurgence, heralded by a free-trade pact with the U.S. At the same time, the Castro-Chavez model has spread from Cuba and Venezuela to Bolivia. Our panel will consider the region's best bet to promote further growth. Should it follow a strategy of trade blocs, protected industries and social programs driven by natural resource riches, or free-trade agreements and luring foreign investment with an increasingly competitive workforce?