The Pan American Day - The United States and Latin America: Policy Continuity or Change?

Keynote Speaker

General Douglas M. Fraser, USAF, Commander of the United States Southern Command

“US Defense Strategy for Latin America”

Relations between the United States and Latin America are being reshaped by the rapid economic growth of a number of Latin American countries, the emerging power of Brazil and other nations, and the role of China. Moreover, as the economies of the United States and Europe face tough headwinds, the Latin American experience provides wisdom for statesmen seeking solutions. Latin America is a key player in the future international energy equation. Yet a number of Latin American countries face an array of menacing challenges to public security and democracy. This conference will be a dialogue on the future policy of the United States towards Latin America and the policy perspectives of Latin American countries towards the United States. What policies should be pursued to promote a peaceful, prosperous, and democratic Hemisphere? The Pan American Association is proud to bring together a distinguished set of speakers from academia, diplomacy, and the military, from both the United States and Latin America to discuss this important question.

Agenda

Conference Participants

General Douglas M. Fraser
General Douglas M. Fraser, USAF, is the Commander of the United States Southern Command, Miami, Florida. A command pilot, he is a graduate of the US Air Force Academy. He assumed duties at the Southern Command in June 2009. Prior to his current assignment, he was Deputy Commander of the United States Pacific Command. General Fraser has won numerous awards for his record of service to the nation, to including the Defense Distinguished Service Medal.

Ambassador Jeffrey Davidow
During a 34-year career in the Foreign Service, Ambassador Davidow became one of America's most senior and well-respected diplomats. He has extensive experience in both Latin America and Africa, having served as U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Venezuela, and Zambia. He also headed the State Department's efforts in Latin America, serving as Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs. He retired in 2003 from the U.S. State Department with the rank of Career Ambassador, the highest position in the Foreign Service. Currently, he is Senior Counselor, Cohen Group.

Dr. Chris Sabatini
Dr. Sabatini is the founder and editor-in-chief of the prestigious Americas Quarterly, and Senior Director of Policy of the Americas Society and Council of the Americas. A prolific author, his writings and interviews have appeared in Foreign Affairs, the Huffington Post, Miami Herald, The Christian Science Monitor, Washington Post, PBS World in Focus, as well as on his blog in Americas Quarterly. Dr. Sabatini’s distinguished career includes Director for Latin America and the Caribbean at the National Endowment for Democracy.

Ambassador Virginia Contreras
Ambassador Contreras is Senior Fellow at the Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies of the National Defense University. Her distinguished career of public service includes Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Venezuela to the Organization of American States. Also, she was the former personal lawyer of President Chavez. Ambassador Contreras is very active promoting democratic alternatives in Latin America and in Venezuela. She is a frequent commentator in the electronic media and in writing on matters of democratic development and institution building in Latin America.

Dr. Jorge Heine
Dr. Heine is CIGI Professor of Global Governance at the Balsillie School of International Affairs,Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario. He served previously as Ambassador of Chile to India (2003-2007) and to South Africa (1994-1999), and as Chile’s Deputy Minister of Defense. A past Vice-President of the International Political Science Association (IPSA), he has also been a Visiting Fellow at St. Antony’s College, Oxford and a Public Policy Scholar at The Wilson Center in Washington DC. His latest books are Fixing Haiti:MINUSTAH and Beyond (2011) and Which Way Latin America: Hemispheric Politics Meets Globalization (2009). He has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post and The International Herald Tribune.

Dr. Gabriel Marcella
Dr. Marcella is adjunct professor and former Director of the Americas Studies in the Department of National Security and Strategy at the United States Army War College. During his government career he also served as International Affairs Advisor to the Commander-in-Chief, United States Southern Command, at Quarry Heights, Panama, 1987-1989. In addition, he has been a consultant to the Departments of State and Defense on Latin American security. He also served on the policy planning staff of the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs at the Department of State during a sabbatical year in 1997. He has written extensively on Latin American affairs.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Please contact Gillian Lankford at 215.558.2152 or glankford@globalarena.com