Julia E. Sweig discusses Brazil's women's affairs minister, Eleonora Menicucci.

Brazil's rapid economic growth has transformed the country into a new global heavyweight, but Brazil must not let an overly ambitious foreign policy agenda distract it from lingering domestic challenges.

A remarkably accessible portrait of Cuba's unique place on the world stage over the past fifty years, including its internal politics, its often fraught relationship with the United States, and its shifting relationship with the global community.

As Cuba's Communist Party convenes this weekend for the first time in fourteen years, President Raul Castro will look to clarify and gain support for economic reforms. CFR's Julia Sweig says the country has made significant strides toward modernization and suggests the United States should amend its restrictive Cuba policies.

President Obama's trip to Brazil hit many new and positive notes, signaling the great potential for boosting ties between the region's two largest economies and democracies, writes CFR's Julia Sweig.

Julia E. Sweig and Matias Spektor say that on his visit to Brazil, President Obama will encounter a transformed nation - and an opportunity to build a genuine partnership.

Peter Kornbluh and Julia E. Sweig say that the case against Cuban exile Luis Posada Carriles has produced unprecedented cooperation between the Cuban and U.S. governments.

The election of Dilma Rousseff as president assures stability on domestic policies that have propelled Brazil in the Lula years, but China and the United States loom as foreign policy challenges, says CFR's Julia Sweig.

Brazil's rapid economic growth has transformed the country into a new global heavyweight, but Brazil must not let an overly ambitious foreign policy agenda distract it from lingering domestic challenges.

Julia Sweig says a "radical new phase" in Cuban history is unfolding in plain sight, but Washington does not seem to notice.

The announcement that Cuba's government will release more than fifty political prisoners could create political space for reforms in Cuba, and an easing of the U.S. embargo, says CFR's Julia Sweig.

Julia E. Sweig states that Secretary Clinton's visit to Brazil "may reflect a political will to make the relationship with Brazil a strategic priority for American foreign policy."

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton faces a difficult task persuading Brazil to join tougher UN sanctions on Iran, amid a series of important regional meetings, says CFR's Julia Sweig.

The Obama administration's missteps on the Honduran coup and Colombia have frustrated Latin American states hoping for fresh U.S. policies, says CFR's Julia Sweig.

A remarkably accessible portrait of Cuba's unique place on the world stage over the past fifty years, including its internal politics, its often fraught relationship with the United States, and its shifting relationship with the global community.

Julia E. Sweig argues that the costs of maintaining the base at Guantanamo Bay outweigh the benefits.

Julia E. Sweig provides a road map for President Obama to improve relations between the United States and Cuba.

Julia E. Sweig, CFR's director of Latin American studies, says ties between Washington and Havana may change, but the United States has been downplaying expectations of a breakthrough.

Julia E. Sweig explains that U.S, relations with Latin America will be drastically different. She argues that the Obama administration "must endeavor to see the hemisphere as it is and not through the lazy filters of "best-friendism," wishful thinking or demonization."

CFR's Latin America Studies Program outlines the implications of the global financial crisis for Latin America.

Colombia’s role in the War on Drugs and its potential as a free trade partner makes it a lucrative part of John McCain’s foreign policy, writes Julia Sweig.   

This report recommends reframing U.S. policy around four critical areas--poverty and inequality, public security, migration, and energy security--that are of immediate concern to Latin America's governments and citizens. This report is also available in Spanish.