2008 MID-YEAR REPORT

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President of Mexico

Felipe Calderón discussed Mexico’s investment and political climate with members at a private meeting.

William R. Rhodes, Chairman; Felipe Calderón, President of Mexico; David Rockefeller, Honorary Chairman

Latin America Series

Programs included presentations by the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs and Ecuador’s Minister of the Interior, and panel discussions on the Andean region and expanding financial access in Latin America.

Top L: Thomas A. Shannon, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs; Susan Segal, President and CEO. Top R: Fernando Bustamante, Minister of the Interior, Ecuador. Bottom L to R: Jose W. Fernandez, Partner, Latham & Watkins LLP; Robert A. Annibale, Global Director of Microfinance, Citigroup; Chris Sabatini, Senior Director, Public Policy

President and CEO of Petrobras

Sergio Gabrielli, President and CEO, Petrobras

Sponsored by:

President of the Central Bank of Chile

José de Gregorio, President of the Central Bank of Chile

Speaker of Brazil’s House of Representatives

Arlindo Chinaglia, speaker of Brazil’s House of Representatives

AMERICAS SOCIETY / COUNCIL OF THE AMERICAS

Luis Guillermo Plata, Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism, Colombia

Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism, Colombia

Luis Guillermo Plata spoke with members about Colombia’s investment potential and the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement.

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Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs

Argentina Series

Juan Manuel Urtubey, Governor of Salta, Argentina; Ricardo Lorenzetti, President of the Supreme Court of Justice of Argentina

Venezuelan student activist

Yon Goicoechea, Venezuela student activist and youth opposition leader

David T. Johnson, Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs

Hemispheric Policy Discussion Series

This new series brings high-level government leaders to offer forward-looking analysis of current events in the hemisphere.

Congressman Eliot L. Engel, Chairman of the House Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere

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Panamanian Presidential Candidate

Commander, U.S. Southern Command

Admiral James Stavridis, Commander, U.S. Southern Command

Balbina Herrera, Panamanian presidential candidate and former Minister of Housing

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Eric Farnsworth, Vice President; Carlos Gutierrez, U.S. Secretary of Commerce

North America Competitiveness Council (NACC)

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez meets with members of the North American Competitiveness Council (NACC) on March 19. The NACC is a trilateral private sector group that provides input to the U.S., Canadian, and Mexican governments on how North America can become more competitive. The Council of the Americas serves as the co-Secretariat with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce of the U.S. section of the NACC.

Congressman Gene Green

Brian O’Neill, U.S. Department of Treasury; Congressman Gene Green (D-TX) for a discussion on trade expansion including the U.S.- Colombia Free Trade Agreement

Amb. Arturo Sarukhan, Mexico; Congressman Eliot L. Engel, Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere

Merida Initiative

Mexican Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan and Congressman Eliot L. Engel discussed the recently passed Merida Initiative’s impact on U.S. and Mexican relations.

Top: Amb. Patricia Haslach, U.S. Senior Official to APEC L to R: José Miguel Morales, Chairman of the APEC CEO Summit 2008; Luis Alberto Moreno, President, Inter-American Development Bank

Latin America in APEC

The Council hosted meetings in New York and Washington DC highlighting the APEC agenda and underlying Asia-Latin America relations.

Congressional Testimony

Chris Sabatini and Eric Farnsworth gave congressional testimony on matters of Cuba and energy respectively.

Chris Sabatini; Eric Farnsworth

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The Globalization of the Americas 38th Washington Conference on the Americas U.S. President George W. Bush and Panamanian President Martín Torrijos joined other hemispheric leaders at the Council of the Americas’ premier annual forum, the 2008 Washington Conference on the Americas. Business and policy leaders from across the Americas gathered to hear views on competitiveness, international trade, hemispheric adjudication, and U.S. relations toward the region.

2008 Conference sponsored by:

L to R: William R. Rhodes; Condoleezza Rice, U.S. Secretary of State; Martín Torrijos, President of Panama; Juan Manuel Santos, Minister of Defense, Colombia

L to R: Susan Schwab, U.S. Trade Representative; Jim Prentice, Minister of Commerce, Canada; Susan Segal, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Managing Director, IMF; Eric Farnsworth

George W. Bush, President of the United States

L to R: Gregory Meeks, U.S. House of Representatives; Luis Carranza Ugarte, Minister of Economy and Finance, Peru; Margaret Spellings, U.S. Secretary of Education; Carlos Gutierrez, U.S. Secretary of Commerce

2008 Miami Programs Sponsors:

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Launch of Ex-Mex: From Migrants to Immigrants

Vice President of Colombia

AS/COA Miami hosted Colombian Vice President Francisco Santos Calderón for a small private meeting with corporate members, as well as a large public forum during which he and Susan Segal addressed the importance of the pending free trade agreement with Colombia.

President of the Central Bank of Argentina Launch of Americas Quarterly, Spring 2008

In celebration of the first anniversary of Americas Quarterly, panelists discussed social mobility, Latin American trade, and the current and future political and economic climate in Cuba.

President and CEO of ProMéxico

Bruno Ferrari, President and CEO, ProMéxico

Jorge Castañeda, author of Ex-Mex and former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mexico

Nancy Anderson, Senior Director, AS/COA Miami; Martín Redrado, President of the Central Bank of Argentina

Audience members; Susan Segal; Francisco Santos Calderón, Vice President of Colombia

L to R: Regina Vargo, Senior Director of the Global Trade and Investment Practice Group, Greenberg Traurig, LLP; Orlando Gutierrez-Boronat, Cuba Democratic Directorate, Americas Quarterly contributor; Andrés Oppenheimer, Latin American Editor and Foreign Affairs Columnist, The Miami Herald

L to R: Ross Kaufman, Greenberg Traurig; Mauro Leos, Vice President, Sovereign Risk Unit, Moody’s Investor Service; David Fleischer, Professor, Political Science Department, Universidade de Brasilia

Brazil: Economic and Political Outlook in 2008

As part of the Brazil Study Group, expert panelists examined Brazil’s recent advances, the approaching municipal elections and their impact on growth, and the possibility of an investment grade rating.

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Brazil, São Paulo—July 10 Chile, Santiago—August 6 Uruguay, Montevideo—August 8 Argentina, Buenos Aires—August 27

Peru, Lima—September 4 Bolivia, La Paz—TBD Ecuador, Quito—TBD

Mexico City, March 11: Mexico: Investment and Economic Growth

Panama City, February 29: Panama and the Global Economy

Bogota, June 18: Colombia in the Eyes of Wall Street

Latin American Cities Series The Americas Society/Council of the Americas expanded their signature Latin American Cities series to encompass 10 countries in 2008. This year we will host conferences in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay, as well as in Ecuador and Panama for the first time. The Latin American Cities series unites high-ranking government officials, prominent business leaders, policymakers, academics, and other noteworthy guests to analyze current and future economic and financial issues, political trends, opportunities for investment, energy, and other issues relevant to the region.

For more information: 212.277.8371; www.as-coa.org

2008 Latin America Cities series Pan Regional Sponsors:

Martín Torrijos, President of Panama; Héctor Alexander, Minister of Economy and Finance; David Ramírez, Mizuho Corporate Bank, Ltd; Roberto Sifón Arévalo, Standard & Poor’s; Carl Ross, Bear Stearns & Co., Inc; Domingo Latorraca, Cámara de Comercio, Samuel Lewis Navarro, Vice President and Foreign Affairs Minister; Stanley Motta, Copa Airlines

With the support of:

Felipe Calderón, President of Mexico; Susan Segal; Valentín Diez Morodo, COMCE; Bruno Ferrari, ProMéxico; Felipe Calderón; Eduardo Sojo, Secretary of Economy; Dr. Agustín Carstens, Secretary of Finance and Public Credit

Francisco Santos, Vice President of Colombia; Luis Guillermo Plata, Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Tourism; conference attendees; Felipe Illanes, Chief Latin America Economist, Merrill Lynch

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NS Americas Quarterly

Celebrating its first year of publication, the new policy journal Americas Quarterly is now published four times a year. Visit www.americasquarterly.org for information on the latest issue.

Review 76: Literature and Arts of the Americas— Canadian Writing and Arts

The newly published Review 76 highlights fiction, poetry, creative essays, and academic articles from our neighbors to the north, Canada.

Estado de Derecho, Crecimiento Económico y Prosperidad

The Rule of Law Working Group published a Spanish-language translation of its report on how to improve and strengthen the rule of law in the Americas to achieve fair and broad-based growth and prosperity.

Rule of Law

The Rule of Law Working Group analyzes the conditions necessary to strengthen the rule of law throughout the hemisphere.

Trade Advisory Group

Leading experts on trade policy examine hemispheric trade policy issues with a view to providing recommendations to the new U.S. administration and hemispheric leaders during the 2009 Summit of the Americas.

Amb. Ira Shapiro, Greenberg Traurig, LLP; Nelson Cunningham, McLarty Associates; Gary Hufbauer, Peterson Institute for International Economics; Jose de la Torre Chapman Graduate School of Business at Florida International University; John Harrington, Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at John Hopkins University; R. Scott Miller, Procter & Gamble

Hispanic Integration Initiative

Launched in February, the Hispanic Integration Initiative examines the role and contributions of the private sector to the integration of Hispanic immigrants in the workforce and the wider community. A report featuring business case studies will be released at the end of July.

Brazil Study Group

The Brazil Study Group provides members with informed discussion surrounding Brazilian public policy and prospects for economic growth.

Five Brazilian Governors

Governors discussed investment opportunities and regional issues at a large public luncheon.

The Brazil Study group is underwritten by the Tinker Foundation and sponsored by:

André Puccinelli, Governor of the State of Mato Grosso do Sul; Luiz Henrique da Silveira, Governor of the State of Santa Catarina; Yeda Crusius, Governor of the State of Rio Grande do Sul; Marcelo Miranda, Governor of the State of Tocantins; Waldez Góes, Governor of the State of Amapá

In association with:

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AMERICAS SOCIETY

Americas Society hosted its 28th Annual Spring Party on June 4, 2008, at Cipriani Wall Street, New York City, attracting over 600 guests from the worlds of business, philanthropy, government, diplomacy, the arts and entertainment in the Americas. The 2008 Spring Party honorees, Patricia Phelps de Cisneros, founding chairman of the Fundación Cisneros; Carlos Fuentes, one of the most influential writers in the Spanish-speaking world; and Peter Munk, entrepreneur, founder and chairman of the board of Barrick Gold Corporation, were recognized that evening for their creative and philanthropic contributions to the arts, education, and social initiatives within the Americas.

Cipriani Wall Street

Honorees Carlos Fuentes, Patricia Phelps de Cisneros, Peter Munk

Susan Segal; David Rockfeller

William Rhodes with Mr. and Mrs. Alexis Rovzar

Enrique Norten, Patricia Phelps de Cisneros, Richard Meier

Amalia Lacroze de Fortabat; David Rockefeller

Guillermo Barnetche, Adriana Cisneros de Griffin; Nicholas Griffin

Peter Munk, David Rockefeller, Gustavo Cisneros

AMERICAS SOCIETY

Literature

Music

TinAlley String Quartet

Recent first prize winners of the 9th Banff International String Quartet Competition, TinAlley String Quartet performed Canadian composer Kelly-Marie Murphy’s Dark Energy.

Michel Tremblay

Renowned Canadian playwright and novelist Michel Tremblay spoke and read in French and English.

Eleanor Wachtel, CBC Radio; Michel Tremblay, playwright and novelist

Québécois Writers in the U.S.: A French perspective

Three Québécois writers living in the U.S. discussed their work in the context of French Canadian culture.

Puerto Rican Poetry: An Anthology from Aboriginal to Contemporary

Translator and literary scholar Roberto Márquez presented his new anthology.

Roberto Márquez, translator and literary scholar

The fall program series looked northward, focusing on Canadian writing and culminating in the publication of Review 76: Literature and Arts of the Americas. Book presentations celebrated newly-released titles by writers from throughout the Americas.

International Contemporary Ensemble: Tres Generaciones

Julio Estrada, composer; Wilfrido Terrazas, moderator

Kristian Winther, violin; Michelle Wood, cello

Aimée Laberge, Canadian writer

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Launch of Review 76

Sylvia Söderlind, Queen’s University; Herménégilde Chiasson, poet; Pamela Wallin, Senior Advisor, Canadian Affairs; Camila Gibb, novelist; Ann Charney, novelist; Mark Abley, writer/editor; Daniel Shapiro, Director of Literature

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Visual Arts

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Music Education

Mariachi Real de Mexico performed for students at PS 228 as part of the Music Department’s Music Education Program.

Diego Rivera: His Murals and the Construction of Mexican Nationalism

One of the most successful events thus far of 2008, this panel and book presentation attracted nearly 200 audience members.

Dr. Robin Adele Greeley, University of Connecticut; Juan Rafael Coronel Rivera, co-editor of Diego Rivera: The Complete Murals; Dr. Javier Garciadiego, President, El Colegio de Mexico

Opening September 10, 2008, Americas Society presents Kinetic Art master Carlos Cruz-Diez’ first solo show in a major U.S. cultural institution.

Between Observation and Intervention: The Painted Photographs of Melvin Charney

Torrijos: The Man and the Myth, Photographs by Graciela Iturbide

Iturbide, one of Mexico’s most celebrated photographers, exhibited never-before-published photographs of former Panamanian leader Omar Torrijos.

Continuum: The Latin Legacy

The ensemble performed pieces from the emerging generation of Latin American composers gaining attention in the United States.

Martín Torrijos, President of Panama, and the first lady tour the exhibition

Yasmeen Siddiqui, curator, Storefront for Art and Architecture and Melvin Charney, artist and architect, at the exhibition opening

Joel Sachs, conductor; Cheryl Seltzer, piano; Ann Miller, violin; Christina Reiko-Cooper, cello; Ulla Suokko, flute; Moran Katz, clarinet; Jared Soldiviero, percussion

Upcoming exhibition:

Carlos Cruz-Diez: (In)formed by Color

Front Cover 1: George W. Bush, President of the United States. 2: Martín Torrijos, President of Panama. 3: Juan Rafael Coronel Rivera, co-editor of Diego Rivera: The Complete Murals. 4: Sergio Gabrielli, President and CEO of Petrobras. 5: Felipe Calderón, President of Mexico. 6: Ricardo Lorenzetti, President of the Supreme Court of Justice of Argentina. 7: Juan Manuel Santos, Minister of Defense, Colombia. 8: Andrés Velasco, Minister of Finance, Chile. 9: Justin Williams, viola, TinAlley String Quartet. 10: Americas Quarterly Summer 2008 issue. 11: Michel Tremblay, playwright and novelist. 12: Condoleezza Rice, U.S. Secretary of State. 13: Screenshot of www.as-coa.org

New York Headquarters 680 Park Avenue New York, NY, 10021 Phone: 212-249-8950 Fax: 212-249-1880

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www.as-coa.org

Uniting opinion leaders to exchange ideas and create solutions to the challenges of

the Americas today

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