News & Commentary
2025 Philadelphia Tango Festival
Wednesday April 30, 2025
The 2025 Philadelphia Tango Festival will take place over Memorial Day Weekend, from Friday, May 23 ...
In Memory of His Holiness Pope Francis
Monday April 21, 2025
The Pan American Association of Philadelphia joins the world in mourning the passing of His Holiness...
Elections for President in Ecuador
Thursday February 13, 2025
Daniel Noboa, the 37 year old current president of Ecuador, failed to get a plurality of the votes i...
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The Pan American Association
P.O. Box 22655
Philadelphia, PA 19110-2655
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The Pan American Association provides News & Notes for the Philadelphia community and for all those interested in developing a better understanding of the vibrant and deep relationship between the United States and the people of the Americas. For over 80 years the Pan American Association has been the preeminent forum for dialogue in the Delaware Valley on a relationship which is intensifying daily. We hope that News & Updates will serve as a solid bridge of communication among all the countries of the Americas. Never in history has the need for such a dialogue been greater than it is today.
2025 Philadelphia Tango Festival
The 2025 Philadelphia Tango Festival will take place over Memorial Day Weekend, from Friday, May 23 through Monday, May 26. Join the Philadelphia Argentine Tango School (PATS), sponsor of this annual event, and tango enthusiasts from around the region and around the world for a weekend of music, dance, and celebration.
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In Memory of His Holiness Pope Francis
The Pan American Association of Philadelphia joins the world in mourning the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis, the first Pope from Latin America.
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Elections for President in Ecuador
Daniel Noboa, the 37 year old current president of Ecuador, failed to get a plurality of the votes in last Sunday's elections. Therefore, he will have to, once again, face Luisa Gonzalez, a left of center candidate closely allied with former President Rafael Correa, in a runoff election on April 13 th.
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Save the Date: Judge Nelson A. Díaz Professorship Series at Temple Law – Featuring Anthony Romero
On March 19, 2025, at 4:00 PM, Temple University Beasley School of Law will host the Annual Judge Nelson A. Díaz Professorship Series, focusing on Latino Civil Rights: Contributions and Challenges.
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Decision Point for Venezuela Sanctions
DECISION POINT FOR VENEZUELA SANCTIONS
By P. Michael McKinley and Patrick Duddy - November 17, 2023
Venezuela is at a crossroads. The carefully choreographed announcement on October 17 of an agreement between the Maduro government and the opposition Unitary Platform on a roadmap for democratic presidential elections in 2024, accompanied the next day by an easing of US sanctions, unraveled in less than two weeks.
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ECUADOR IN TURMOIL
The United States last Wednesday offered a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest of the perpetrators of the assassination of Ecuador presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio.
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Colombia Will be a Desert by 2070
So says it’s current President, Gustavo Petro, the first left-of-center politician ever elected to the office.
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Cuba Will Not Do the Wagner Waltz
Cuba will not do the Wagner waltz:
The Cuban Ambassador to Russia stated two weeks ago that Cuba would not oppose the participation of its citizens in the Russian-Ukrainian war.
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BOLSONARO BACK IN BRAZIL
Keeping the promise that he made, that he would return to Brazil in March 2023, former President Jairo Bolsonaro arrived in Brasilia on March 30th, after a three-month, self-imposed exile.
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Diego Castellanos, long-time friend of the Pan American Association, dies at 88
The Pan American Association of Philadelphia mourns the passing of Diego Castellanos, the host of "Puerto Rican Panorama" for more than four decades. He was born in Puerto Rico but spent most of his adult life in the Delaware Valley area. He was very active in the Latino community of Philadelphia and played a central role in the annual Puerto Rican Parade.
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Russia in the Americas: What Now?
Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine raises urgent questions about the full scope and nature of Russian activities in the Americas. While there is little reason to believe that Russia views the Americas as a core national interest, nonetheless ongoing activities across the region are proving incompatible with long-standing efforts to build democracy. How does Russia view the Americas? What priorities is Moscow pursuing? And where do relations go from here?
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Crypto in the Americas: Policy Considerations
Please join the Council of the Americas for a virtual discussion with industry, regulatory, and human rights representatives on policy implications of exploding interest in the crypto space across the Americas.
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Bicentennial Panama Event Fashion, Art & Culture
The Consulate General of Panama in Philadelphia invites you to an afternoon enjoying Panamanian fashion music and art.
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The Pan American Association of Philadelphia mourns the passing of its Board Member Emeritus, Charles F. Shreiner.
Charley was born in Philadelphia on February 18, 1924 and died on July 2, 2019. He is survived by his wife Gloria and his children Kristian, David and Stephen Shreiner.
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NAFTA Assessment
Peter Hakim, of the Inter-American Dialogue, examines what he calls the “high cost of tampering with NAFTA.” It raises serious concerns about the future of free trade and US relations with Latin America:
“For sure, other Latin American nations have been watching closely. Even though China has replaced the United States as the largest trade partner of many countries of the hemisphere, most Latin American economies are still heavily reliant on US trade and investment (though assuredly not to the extent of Mexico or Canada). And many nations have established high levels of cooperation with the US on other fronts. But governments and their citizens across Latin America have become increasingly wary and mistrustful of the Trump administration. In the short run, they—like Mexico—have few options other than continuing to work with Washington and accommodate to its current policies in the region. But the region is already searching hard for alternatives, and will surely find them if the current US agenda for the Americas persists. By trying to impose its will on Mexico and the rest of Latin America, often in disagreeable, offensive ways, the Trump government is steadily losing its already paper thin credibility in the region.”
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Statement on Attack to Pittsburgh Synagogue
Following is the statement of the Pan American Association on the recent attack to a synagogue in Pittsburgh
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NAFTA Assessment
Peter Hakim, of the Inter-American Dialogue, examines what he calls the “high cost of tampering with NAFTA.” It raises serious concerns about the future of free trade and US relations with Latin America:
“For sure, other Latin American nations have been watching closely. Even though China has replaced the United States as the largest trade partner of many countries of the hemisphere, most Latin American economies are still heavily reliant on US trade and investment (though assuredly not to the extent of Mexico or Canada). And many nations have established high levels of cooperation with the US on other fronts. But governments and their citizens across Latin America have become increasingly wary and mistrustful of the Trump administration. In the short run, they—like Mexico—have few options other than continuing to work with Washington and accommodate to its current policies in the region. But the region is already searching hard for alternatives, and will surely find them if the current US agenda for the Americas persists. By trying to impose its will on Mexico and the rest of Latin America, often in disagreeable, offensive ways, the Trump government is steadily losing its already paper thin credibility in the region.”
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¡Nicaragua Sigue Sufriendo!
Written by Alejandro José Gallard Prío, Former Honorary Consul of Nicaragua in Philadelphia
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Enrique Krauze
One of Mexico's leading intellectuals, Enrique Krauze, comments on the future of democracy in his country
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Rebuilding Democracy
Taking an historical and comparative perspective, Venezuelan scholar Eduardo Hausmann writes on how to rebuild democracy in Venezuela. Caution: no magic formula, but history offers examples of how it was done.
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China in Latin America
A report by the National Endowment for Democracy warns:
“Together with Beijing’s attempts to project an image of itself as an accommodating power that shares similar development and modernization goals with the developing world, this soft power approach has enabled China to earn the sympathies of political elites across Latin America. The perception among these enthusiastic political elites that China would make an attractive partner rests primarily on its economic development over the past four decades, its ability to weather the global financial crisis virtually untouched, and its ever-growing influence in the international arena. The prospect that China can provide economic opportunities that other international partners cannot offer, along with the United States’ diminishing presence in the region, is also a decisive factor behind Beijing’s new, fresh, and friendly image in Latin America.”
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Alternative to NAFTA?
Mexico and Canada now have an alternative to trade with the United States, giving them more leverage in contentious NAFTA talks.
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Brazil's National Insecurity Emergency
Brazil's president has described a deepening, nationwide crisis of insecurity as a "national emergency” that must be addressed.
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Upcoming Elections in Brazil and Mexico
Upcoming presidential elections in Brazil and Mexico could reshape politics in Latin America and deeply affect relations with the United States.
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Impact of Hispanics in the United States
The immense impact of Hispanics in the United States, the 5 sectors in which they are prominent: business, food, music, education, politics.
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Wisdom about NAFTA
Cities and metro areas in the United States and Mexico are crafting their own metro-to-metro trade arrangements. May of these dwarf in scale and impact the policy decisions made at the national level.
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Military Options in Venezuela
Frank Mora, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Latin America and speaker at the Pan American Association, discusses why Trump’s suggestion of US military intervention in Venezuela is a bad idea.
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Real Cost of Border Wall
A detailed analysis of the economic and environmental costs of a border wall. The author, Vanda Felbab-Brown, is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. She conducted field research at the border.
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Chile Giant in Renewable Energy
Chile is rapidly expanding its clean energy grid, which includes vast solar fields, wind farms, and thermal. Its energy transformation is one of the most ambitious in Latin America, a region that is decisively moving beyond fossil fuels.
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Policy Attention
Chris Sabatini comments on the absence of policy for Latin America:
“But what we see now under the administration of President Donald J. Trump is something completely different: not the lack of attention of previous administrations, but a complete and utter vacuum of comprehensive diplomatic policy, not just toward the region as a whole (for the reason mentioned above) but within the region.”
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US-Mexico Relations
Mexico’s former ambassador to China, Jorge Guajardo, comments on the unpleasant effect of Trump on Mexican politics.
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Brownfield to Resign
The top American diplomat for counternarcotics policy, William Brownfield, is apparently resigning. Brownfield spoke at the Pan American Association in October, 2013.
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Presidential Legal Woes
From kidnapping and murder to money laundering and misuse of public funds, contemporary Latin American leaders have been investigated for a broad range of crimes, underscoring the structural challenges the region faces in the ongoing struggle to end the impunity enjoyed by its political elite.
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Uprooting Corruption in Brazil
“But corruption’s roots run so deep in Brazil that, like a tree as old as the garden it grows in, uprooting it can cause tremendous upheaval. Mr. da Silva’s once unthinkable decline is just one expression of the turmoil reaching across Brazil. A stunning number of establishment political figures have been implicated, leaving the world’s fifth most populous country with few credible leaders. Political infighting and public distrust are skyrocketing. So is polarization, as citizens increasingly blame the other side for their country’s problems.”
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Ambassador William Brownfield
Ambassador William Brownfield, a very distinguished diplomat, is being considered for Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs. Brownfield has spoken at the Pan American Association.
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Venezuela Toward Civil War?
Peru fears Venezuela may be headed toward civil war as a political crisis deepens and its economy implodes under the rule of socialist Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Peru's foreign minister told Reuters on Wednesday.
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Brazilian Army
What should the Brazilian Army do in the absence of threats to the country? Perhaps the answer is to assume more police type missions, which it is increasingly and reluctantly doing. This is an important question that affects not only Brazil’s, but a number of Latin American military institutions.
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Shifting Latin American Trade favors China
A sobering assessment of trade relations:
“What happened to free trade? The United States has free trade agreements with Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Peru, and Central America, yet China has still managed to establish itself as a major economic presence in these countries. Despite the lack of constraints and the expectation that trade flows would jump dramatically between the U.S. and its southern neighbors, China has either displaced the U.S. (in Chile and Peru) or begun to pose a threat to its economic dominance (in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean). President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership sends an additional signal to Latin America that the U.S. is retreating from the world stage. The door is open for China and other emerging powers to fill the void and become the new hegemonic economic power in the region.”
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FARC Out of the Jungle
Article describes how a FARC commander, a man of bourgeois taste, prepares for peace after years of war. Provides valuable insights into the contradictions and brutalities of Colombia’s conflict.
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Russia in Nicaragua
Three decades after this tiny Central American nation became the prize in a Cold War battle with Washington, Russia is once again planting its flag in Nicaragua. Over the past two years, the Russian government has added muscle to its security partnership here, selling tanks and weapons, sending troops, and building facilities intended to train Central American forces to fight drug trafficking.
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Wisdom about NAFTA
A strong, stable Mexican economy, led by a government committed to working with the US, is clearly in America’s interests. Trump would be well advised to work quickly to ensure that the NAFTA renegotiations he has demanded generate this outcome.
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Enrique Krauze, Mexico and the United States
Enrique Krauze, one of Mexico’s leading intellectuals, reflects on the impact of the US-Mexican war of 1846: “The United States invasion of Mexico in 1846 inflicted a painful wound that, in the 170 years that followed, turned into a scar. Donald Trump has torn it open again…But the best and most just reparation would be American immigration reform that could open the road to citizenship for the descendants of those Mexicans who suffered the unjust loss of half their territory.”
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Colombia's Social Impact Bonds
A remarkable project is underway in Colombia. The signing of the contracts for the Colombia Workforce Social Impact Bond (SIB) will target skills training and employment support to vulnerable, unemployed individuals in Bogotá, Cali, and Pereira.
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Corn and NAFTA
Corn producers in the US are concerned that the Trump administration’s policy will affect corn exports to Mexico. “Now corn has taken on a new role — as a powerful lever for Mexican officials in the run-up to talks over Nafta, the North American Free Trade Agreement. The reason: Much of the corn that Mexico consumes comes from the United States, making it America’s top agricultural export to its southern neighbor. And even though President Trump appears to be pulling back from his vows to completely overhaul Nafta, Mexico has taken his threats to heart and has begun flexing its own muscle. The Mexican government is exploring buying its corn elsewhere — including Argentina or Brazil — as well as increasing domestic production. In a fit of political pique, a Mexican senator even submitted a bill to eliminate corn purchases from the United States within three years.”
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Latin American Policy
A distinguished scholar comments:
“To this day, a minority of Latin Americans remain staunchly anti-American. Their attitude toward the United States is ideological; there is nothing the country could do to change their dislike of it. But the rest of Latin America is not ideological but transactional. In dealing with the United States, these majorities respond to reciprocity. When they perceive the United States as treating them fairly and equally — as an interested partner more than as a detached or distrustful boss — they respond in kind. The new United States foreign policy, with its xenophobic protectionism aptly symbolized by Mr. Trump’s promised wall on the Mexican border, will turn these supporters into antagonists. Where applied, this policy will provoke a nationalist backlash and polarization. That much is clear. Mr. Trump may not see it, but the writing is on the wall — his wall.”
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Immigration from Latin America Slowing
Weak labor-supply growth in Mexico and other Latin American countries means immigration to the U.S. of young, low-skilled workers will continue to slow until it reaches zero in 2050—even without the implementation of Trump’s border policies…In light of the changing demographics of migrant-sending nations, the current emphasis of the U.S. government on further intensifying immigration enforcement is puzzling. Why build a wall to stop an immigration surge that has largely already occurred?
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Peron and Trump
Article explores the similarity between Argentina’s Juan Peron and Donald Trump: both are called authoritarian populists. Moreover, “Even if Trumpism remains an authoritarian response within democracy — one that doesn’t dissolve the institution altogether, as it has been the historical case in Latin America — an intolerant xenophobe holding the greatest megaphone on earth threatens the integrity of other representative democracies and may yet usher in more Trumps.”
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Argentina Warns Trump About Protectionism
Argentina, which is poised to take over the leadership of the G20 group of developed and developing nations later this year, has warned Donald Trump that protectionist trade strategies do not work. Nicolás Dujovne, the country’s finance minister, said that Argentina’s own recent anti-free trade policies showed that closing borders did more harm than good. “We’ve been there,” Dujovne told the Guardian. “Protectionism and nationalism will not make your economy richer and will not accelerate growth. It will increase stagnation and poverty.”
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