Shannon K. O'Neil

Latin America's Moment

O'Neil analyzes developments in Latin America and U.S. relations in the region.

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Showing posts for "Honduras"

Why the Summit of the Americas Matters

by Shannon K. O'Neil
Colombian policemen stand in front of the Centro de Convenciones in Cartagena Colombian policemen stand in front of the Centro de Convenciones in Cartagena (Jose Gomez/Courtesy Reuters).

The sixth Summit of the Americas on April 14-15 is part of an intense spring of bilateral and regional interactions in the hemisphere. It will bring together thirty-three heads of state from nearly every member of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Cartegena, Colombia, to discuss regional issues ranging from expanding economic ties to turning back a surge in criminal activity. Read more »

Central America’s Moment

by Shannon K. O'Neil
A gang member flashes a gang sign as police parade suspected gang members they arrested in an overnight raid in San Salvador A gang member flashes a gang sign as police parade suspected gang members they arrested in an overnight raid in San Salvador (Stringer/Courtesy Reuters).

While Brazil and Mexico (in good and bad ways) tend to fill U.S. headlines regarding Latin America, other nations matter as well for the United States. Among them are the Central American countries of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Though combined their populations total less than thirty million people, these small nations arguably have an outsized effect on the United States, due to a long history of migration and a now growing role in the hemispheric drug pipeline. Read more »

Vice President Biden Visits Mexico and Central America

by Shannon K. O'Neil
U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden and Mexico's President Felipe Calderon pose for a photograph prior to a meeting at the Los Pinos presidential palace in Mexico City (Tomas Bravo/Courtesy Reuters). U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden and Mexico's President Felipe Calderon pose for a photograph prior to a meeting at the Los Pinos presidential palace in Mexico City (Tomas Bravo/Courtesy Reuters).

On Sunday, Joe Biden began his second trip to Latin America as Vice President. In 2009  he went to Chile and Costa Rica to talk about the global economic crisis; now he is in Mexico and Honduras, focusing on security (among other issues) in the lead up to the April Summit of the Americas. Read more »

Reads of the Week: Debating COIN in Mexico and Dealing with Violence in Central America

by Shannon K. O'Neil

At least 27 people were found dead in the Guatemalan village near the border with Mexico last May. Police look at a message written with a victim's blood, which reads: ‘What’s up, Otto Salguero, you bastard? We are going to find you and behead you, too. Sincerely, Z200.’ (Courtesy Reuters).

Read more »

On Cuba and the OAS

by Shannon K. O'Neil

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was in Honduras yesterday, attending a meeting of the Organization of American States in which whether Cuba should be allowed to re-gain membership to the international organization was discussed. Last night I spoke on WorldFocus on what it would take for Cuba to be re-admitted into the organization, overtures from Cuba to the U.S. and Iran’s interest in Latin American countries. Read more »

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