{
  "id": "R42360",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "R42360",
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  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
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      "id": 415515,
      "date": "2012-12-21",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-06T23:45:11.748793",
      "title": "Latin America and the Caribbean: U.S. Policy and Key Issues for Congress in 2012",
      "summary": "Geographic proximity has ensured strong linkages between the United States and the Latin American and Caribbean region, with diverse U.S. interests, including economic, political and security concerns. U.S. policy toward the region under the Obama Administration has focused on four priorities: promoting economic and social opportunity; ensuring citizen security; strengthening effective democratic institutions; and securing a clean energy future. There has been substantial continuity in U.S. policy toward the region under the Obama Administration, which has pursued some of the same basic policy approaches as the Bush Administration. Nevertheless, the Obama Administration has made several significant policy changes, including an overall emphasis on partnership and shared responsibility. \nU.S. policy toward the region must also contend with a Latin America that is becoming increasingly independent from the United States. Strong economic growth has increased Latin America\u2019s confidence in its ability to solve its own problems. The region has also diversified its economic and diplomatic ties with countries outside the region. Over the past few years, several Latin American regional organization organizations have been established that do not include the United States.\nCongress plays an active role in policy toward Latin America and the Caribbean. Legislative and oversight attention to the region during the 112th Congress focused on the continued increase in drug trafficking-related violence in Mexico and U.S. assistance to Mexico under the M\u00e9rida Initiative; efforts to help Central American and Caribbean countries contend with drug trafficking and violent crime; as well as continued counternarcotics and security support to Colombia. The January 2010 earthquake that devastated Port-au-Prince, Haiti, continued to focus congressional attention on the enormous task of disaster recovery and reconstruction. As in past years, U.S. sanctions on Cuba, particularly restrictions on travel and remittances, remained a contentious issue in the debate over how to support change in one of the world\u2019s last remaining communist nations. Another area of congressional oversight was the deterioration of democracy in several Latin American countries, especially Nicaragua and Venezuela. Congressional concern also increased about Iran\u2019s growing relations in the region, especially with Venezuela, and about the activities of Hezbollah.\nThis report provides an overview of U.S. policy toward Latin America and the Caribbean in 2012, including the Obama Administration\u2019s priorities for U.S. policy and a brief comparison of policies under the Obama and Bush Administrations. It then examines congressional interest in Latin America, first providing an overview, and then looking at selected countries and regional issues and key policy issues faced by Congress in 2012. The final section of the report analyzes several key events in the region that took place in 2012: the Pope\u2019s trip to Cuba in March, the sixth Summit of the Americas in April, Mexico\u2019s elections in July, and Venezuela\u2019s upcoming elections in October. An appendix provides a listing of hearings in the 112th Congress focused on Latin America. For additional information and access to over 30 CRS reports on the region, see the CRS Issues in Focus webpage on \u201cLatin America and the Caribbean.\u201d",
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    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc463056/",
      "id": "R42360_2012Aug28",
      "date": "2012-08-28",
      "retrieved": "2014-12-05T09:57:41",
      "title": "Latin America and the Caribbean: U.S. Policy and Key Issues for Congress in 2012",
      "summary": "This report provides an overview of U.S. policy toward Latin America and the Caribbean, including the Obama Administration's priorities for U.S. policy and a brief comparison of policies under the Obama and Bush Administrations. It then examines congressional interest in Latin America, first providing an overview, and then looking at selected countries and regional issues and identifying key policy issues facing Congress in 2012. The final section of the report analyzes several key events in the region in 2012: the Pope's trip to Cuba in March, the sixth Summit of the Americas in April, Mexico's elections in July, and Venezuela's upcoming elections in October.",
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          "id": "Foreign policy",
          "name": "Foreign policy"
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        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Congress and foreign policy",
          "name": "Congress and foreign policy"
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          "id": "Foreign relations -- Caribbean -- U.S.",
          "name": "Foreign relations -- Caribbean -- U.S."
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          "id": "Foreign relations -- Latin America -- U.S.",
          "name": "Foreign relations -- Latin America -- U.S."
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          "id": "Foreign relations -- U.S. -- Latin America",
          "name": "Foreign relations -- U.S. -- Latin America"
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    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc491391/",
      "id": "R42360_2012Feb14",
      "date": "2012-02-14",
      "retrieved": "2015-01-27T19:40:46",
      "title": "Latin America and the Caribbean: U.S. Policy and Key Issues for Congress in 2012",
      "summary": "This report provides an overview of U.S. policy toward Latin America and the Caribbean, including the Obama Administration's priorities for U.S. policy and a brief comparison of policies under the Obama and Bush Administrations. It then examines congressional interest in Latin America, first providing an overview, and then looking at selected countries and regional issues and identifying key policy issues facing Congress in 2012. The final section of the report analyzes several upcoming events in the region in 2012 that could have an impact on developments in several countries or on U.S. relations with the region.",
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      "topics": [
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          "id": "Congress and foreign policy",
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          "id": "Foreign relations -- Caribbean -- U.S.",
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        {
          "source": "LIV",
          "id": "Foreign relations -- U.S. -- Caribbean",
          "name": "Foreign relations -- U.S. -- Caribbean"
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          "id": "Foreign relations -- Latin America -- U.S.",
          "name": "Foreign relations -- Latin America -- U.S."
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          "id": "Foreign relations -- U.S. -- Latin America",
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  "topics": [
    "Foreign Affairs",
    "Immigration Policy",
    "Intelligence and National Security",
    "Latin American Affairs",
    "National Defense"
  ]
}