Venezuela’s satellite plans, new lows in Mexican crime, and the U.S.’ growing Hispanic population. Read these stories and more in the Weekly Roundup.

Paraguay's new President Fernando Lugo represents a change in leadership after six decades under the rule of the Colorado Party. But challenges lie ahead for the former priest after he takes office.

Relations between Brazil and the United States offer “fertile areas” to partner in the fields of resource technology, security, and private sector cooperation.

In an AS/COA interview, Brazilian CEO Jair Ribeiro discusses Partners in Education, a program targeting one of Brazil’s most pressing issues—the quality of education. Through the program’s model, business leaders adopt and boost management of individual schools in the São Paulo area.

Coverage by the Washington Post takes a closer look at how companies are supporting integrations programs and highlights AS/COA's new working group white paper U.S. Business and Hispanic Integration: Expanding the Economic Contributions of Immigrants. 

U.S. Congressman Gregory Meeks, in remarks delivered at AS/COA's Latin American Cities Conference in Montevideo, urged the expansion of inter-American trade pacts. Representative Meeks sees an opportunity to "construct a new framework for hemispheric cooperation and renew our joint focus on hemisphere unity." 

At a time of global economic challenges such as rising energy prices and inflation growth, AS/COA brought together public and privte sector leaders for its annual conference in Santiago de Chile on August 6. Speakers empasized Chile's ability to attract foreign investment but warned of inflation risks.

In the wake of the floundering Doha Round of trade talks, AS/COA hosted its annual Montevideo conference, focusing on Uruguay's positive economic performance in the context of global market flux. Presentations by Ministers Danilo Astori and Daniel Martínez as well as U.S. Congressman Gregory Meeks served a conference highlights.