This fully illustrated catalogue includes essays by exhibition curator Maria Iovino; photographic historian Sagrario Berti; testimony by Fernell Franco; and a personal note by Graciela Iturbide.

"Any and all changes to the U.S. embargo must first and foremost be geared toward strengthening the hand of the island’s independent sectors," says AS/COA's Christopher Sabatini in this report published by the Woodrow Wilson Center's Latin America Program.

Brazil’s discovery of a massive undersea deposit of natural gas could potentially alter its long-term energy strategy and also adversely affect neighboring Bolivia’s lucrative supply of hydrocarbons to its biggest customer.

Colombian court suspends a U.S. military deal, protests end in Bolivian mining city, and Brazilian candidate Dilma Rousseff pulls ahead in polls. Read these stories and more in the Weekly Roundup.

“It’s a way of fostering greater opening and exchange without a bruising battle with a much-needed political ally in an election year,” says AS/COA's Christopher Sabatini of the Obama administration's plans to ease restrictions on U.S. citizens wishing to travel to Cuba, leaving the trade embargo intact.

Last week, U.S. President Barack Obama approved an act that allocated $600 million to boost security along the border with Mexico. An AS/COA analysis looks at how the funds will be raised and spent.

While Venezuela and Colombia have taken an important step in reestablishing diplomatic ties, a sustained commitment by both countries will be necessary to achieve a new era of bilateral cooperation, writes AS/COA's Jason Marczak in El Diario/La Prensa. (en español)

President Sebastián Piñera started his term overseeing Chile's post-earthquake reconstruction and has presided over a robust economic recovery. Still, six months after the earthquake the new leader has seen his approval ratings slump.

A new Music Note discusses the voice and message of the Mexican folk-rock group Los Cenzontles, who performed at Americas Society on July 6.

Fidel Castro makes his first official address in four years, Colombia's economy grows through surging exports, and the Mexican Supreme Court upholds gay marriage laws. Read these stories and more in the Weekly Roundup.

The U.S. Trade Representative filed a complaint against Guatemala on July 30, claiming violations to labor rights agreed to under the Central American Free Trade Agreement. The dispute marks the first U.S. case of its kind within the framework of a trade pact.

"If the President wants to meet his export goals and have sustainable growth, [Latin America] is a region that has largely felt the cold shoulder of Washington for decades, but is willing to take business relations to another level," writes AS/COA President and CEO Susan Segal in The Huffington Post.

“This is an effort to move the policy forward in some way, but in a way that will be much more palatable to the embargo’s supporters,” said AS/COA's Christopher Sabatini, discussing the possibility of the Obama administration loosening certain restrictions on U.S. citizens traveling to the communist island.

“Anything that complicates Santos’ plan to get trade back hurts his domestic economic agenda,” says COA Vice President Eric Farnsworth, discussing recently-elected Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos' gestures to reestablish relations with Caracas.

Discussing Santiago and La Paz's dispute over Bolivian access to the Pacific, AS/COA's Christopher Sabatini states that "a solution that grants Bolivia unrestricted, even permanent access to the sea without Chile relinquishing its official sovereignty" would be an ideal compromise.

"The party rank and file still like to bask in his stature, such as it is today," said AS/COA's Christopher Sabatini, commenting on Fidel Castro's address to Cuba's National Assembly.

Caracas maintains territorial, maritime, and border disputes with several Caribbean countries, leading to uneasy ties between Venezuela and many of its neighbors.

"During President Uribe’s term Colombia has become one of the most important investment destinations in the Hemisphere,” says AS/COA President and CEO Susan Segal.

”His vision and passion for his country, his knowledge of every detail and his strong sense of history are evident in all that he does and says,” says AS/COA President & CEO Susan Segal, describing outgoing Colombian President Álvaro Uribe.

Brazil’s poverty alleviation achievements, Peru’s Alan García sets date for elections, and Ecuador signs an historic Amazon agreement. Read these stories and more in the Weekly Roundup.