{ "id": "R43882", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "R43882", "active": true, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 458479, "date": "2017-01-04", "retrieved": "2017-02-03T19:17:07.518282", "title": "Latin America and the Caribbean: Key Issues and Actions in the 114th Congress", "summary": "U.S. Interests and Policy \nGeographic proximity has ensured strong linkages between the United States and the Latin American and Caribbean region, based on diverse U.S. interests, including economic, political, and security concerns. U.S. policy toward the region under the Obama Administration focused on four priorities: promoting economic and social opportunity; ensuring citizen security; strengthening effective democratic institutions; and securing a clean energy future. There was substantial continuity in U.S. policy toward the region during the first six years of the Obama Administration, which pursued some of the same basic policy approaches as the Bush Administration. However, the Obama Administration made several significant policy changes, including an emphasis on partnership and shared responsibility. Moreover, President Obama unveiled a new policy approach of engagement with Cuba in 2014.\nU.S. policy toward the region is conducted in the context of an increasingly independent Latin America, which has diversified its economic and diplomatic ties with countries outside the region. Over the past few years, several Latin American regional organizations have been established that do not include the United States. Nevertheless, the United States remains very much engaged in Latin America bilaterally and multilaterally. \nCongressional Action and Oversight\nCongress traditionally has played an active role in policy toward Latin America and the Caribbean in terms of both legislation and oversight. In the first session of the 114th Congress in 2015, the most significant legislative action was enactment of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (P.L. 114-113). The law had numerous provisions on foreign aid to the region, including $750 million for ramped-up funding to address Central America\u2019s economic, security, and governance challenges. The FY2016 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA; P.L. 114-92) also had provisions regarding increased support for Central America and prohibitions against funding for the closure of the U.S. Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Also in 2015, Congress approved an extension of the Generalized System of Preferences through 2017 in the Trade Preferences Extension Act (P.L. 114-27) benefitting some 15 countries in the region. Late in 2015, the House passed H.Res. 536, expressing support for freedom of the press in the region.\nIn the second session, Congress enacted legislation in July 2016 extending targeted sanctions for human rights abuses in Venezuela through 2019 (P.L. 114-194), while in September 2016 the House approved H.Res. 851 on the situation in Venezuela. Also in September, Congress enacted a legislative vehicle (P.L. 114-223) that provided FY2016 supplemental funding to control the spread of the Zika virus in the Americas. \nAs the 114th Congress neared its end in December 2016, Congress completed action on several measures with provisions related to the region. P.L. 114-291 requires the Secretary of State to submit a multiyear strategy for U.S. engagement with the Caribbean. P.L. 114-323, the Department of State Authorities Act, FY2017, established a commission to review U.S. drug control policy in the hemisphere, including an evaluation of counternarcotics assistance programs. P.L. 114-328, the FY2017 NDAA, extends a unified counterdrug and counterterrorism campaign in Colombia for two years; requires a report on U.S. military units that have been assigned to do policing or other law enforcement duties in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras; continues prohibitions on funding for the closure of the U.S. Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; and restricts funding for Cuba\u2019s participation in certain joint or multilateral exercises or related security conferences. Congress did not complete action on FY2017 foreign aid appropriations, but it enacted a continuing resolution, P.L. 114-254, in December that funded most foreign aid programs at the FY2016 level, minus an across-the-board reduction of almost 0.2%, through April 28, 2017. The 115th Congress will face completing action on FY2017 foreign aid appropriations.\nThis report, which will not be updated, provides an overview of U.S. policy toward Latin America and the Caribbean during the 114th Congress in 2015 and 2016. It begins with an overview of the political and economic environment affecting U.S. relations and then examines the Obama Administration\u2019s policy toward the region. The report then examines congressional interests in the region and legislative action, looking at selected regional and country issues. An Appendix provides links to hearings on the region in the 114th Congress.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R43882", "sha1": "69a3a7bacd3c2c2a8d9dc6c16fd17d282931515a", "filename": "files/20170104_R43882_69a3a7bacd3c2c2a8d9dc6c16fd17d282931515a.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R43882", "sha1": "3b4030ce54022e36878ee1cabf257166b4dd0c1f", "filename": "files/20170104_R43882_3b4030ce54022e36878ee1cabf257166b4dd0c1f.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4847, "name": "Latin America, Caribbean, & Canada" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 455974, "date": "2016-08-15", "retrieved": "2016-11-28T21:46:36.981567", "title": "Latin America and the Caribbean: Key Issues for the 114th Congress", "summary": "U.S. Interests and Policy \nGeographic proximity has ensured strong linkages between the United States and the Latin American and Caribbean region, based on 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 was substantial continuity in U.S. policy toward the region during the first six years of the Obama Administration, which pursued some of the same basic policy approaches as the Bush Administration. However, the Obama Administration made several significant policy changes, including an emphasis on partnership and shared responsibility. Moreover, in December 2014, President Obama unveiled a new policy approach toward Cuba that broke with the long-standing U.S. sanctions-based policy and moved toward a policy of engagement.\nU.S. policy toward the region is conducted in the context of an increasingly independent Latin America, which has diversified its economic and diplomatic ties with countries outside the region. Over the past few years, several Latin American regional organizations have been established that do not include the United States, including the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, which is designed to boost regional integration and cooperation. Nevertheless, the United States remains very much engaged in Latin America bilaterally and multilaterally. The policy shift on Cuba was lauded throughout the region and has bolstered the image of the United States in Latin America. \nCongressional Action and Oversight\nCongress traditionally has played an active role in policy toward Latin America and the Caribbean in terms of both legislation and oversight. The most significant legislative action on the region in the first session of the 114th Congress in 2015 was enactment of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (P.L. 114-113). The law has numerous provisions on foreign aid to the region, including $750 million for ramped-up funding to address Central America\u2019 economic, security, and governance challenges. The FY2016 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 114-92) also has provisions regarding increased support for Central America. Earlier in 2015, Congress approved an extension of the Generalized System of Preferences through 2017 in the Trade Preferences Extension Act (P.L. 114-27), which benefits some 15 countries in the region. Late in 2015, the House passed H.Res. 536, expressing support for freedom of the press in the region and condemning violations of press freedom.\nTo date in the second session, Congress enacted legislation in July 2016 extending targeted sanctions for human rights abuses in Venezuela through 2019 (P.L. 114-194). Congress faces completing action on three key appropriations measures that would affect the Latin American and Caribbean region: FY2016 supplemental funding to control the spread of the Zika virus in the Americas; the FY2017 State Department and Foreign Operations appropriations measure (H.R. 5912 and S. 3117), with numerous provisions on assistance to the region, including assistance to support the Administration\u2019s whole-of-government strategy for engagement in Central America; and the FY2017 Financial Services appropriations measure (H.R. 5485 and S. 3067), with House and Senate provisions that would respectively tighten and ease economic sanctions on Cuba. \nAmong other pending measures, the House version of the FY2017 Commerce Department appropriations measure, H.R. 5393, has provisions that would tighten economic sanctions on Cuba. Both the House and the Senate versions of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2017 (H.R. 4909/S. 2943) have provisions that would restrict U.S. military interaction with the Cuban military, and the House bill has a provision that also would prevent the return to Cuba of the U.S. Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay without congressional action. The House approved two additional legislative initiatives on the region in 2016: H.R. 4482, which would require the Secretary of Homeland Security to prepare a southwest border threat analysis, and H.R. 4939, which would require the State Department to submit a multiyear strategy for U.S. engagement with the Caribbean. Congress also could potentially consider implementing legislation for the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, which would have implications for U.S. trade and investment ties with Mexico, Chile, and Peru.\nCongressional oversight for the remainder of the second session may include focus on the impending peace accord in Colombia; Venezuela\u2019s ongoing political and economic crisis; the political and economic situation in Brazil amid a presidential impeachment trial; scheduled elections in Haiti in October; and concern about the state of democracy and the November election in Nicaragua. \nThis report provides an overview of U.S. policy toward Latin America and the Caribbean. It begins with an overview of the political and economic environment that affects U.S. relations and then examines the Obama Administration\u2019s policy toward the region. The report then examines congressional interests in Latin America, looking at selected regional and country issues. An Appendix provides links to hearings on the region in the 114th Congress. For additional information, see the CRS products noted after each regional and country section.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R43882", "sha1": "c1dd1bb2ac57257b3214c042b02a376f3234058f", "filename": "files/20160815_R43882_c1dd1bb2ac57257b3214c042b02a376f3234058f.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R43882", "sha1": "4ebe599baa19df5ef44db9cb7e65c2eb5b65cbb6", "filename": "files/20160815_R43882_4ebe599baa19df5ef44db9cb7e65c2eb5b65cbb6.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4847, "name": "Latin America, Caribbean, & Canada" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 448912, "date": "2016-01-20", "retrieved": "2016-04-06T17:27:02.990144", "title": "Latin America and the Caribbean: Key Issues for the 114th Congress", "summary": "U.S. Interests and Policy \nGeographic 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 was substantial continuity in U.S. policy toward the region during the first six years of the Obama Administration, which pursued some of the same basic policy approaches as the Bush Administration. Nevertheless, the Obama Administration made several significant policy changes, including an overall emphasis on partnership and shared responsibility. Moreover, in December 2014, President Obama unveiled a new policy approach toward Cuba that broke with the long-standing U.S. sanctions-based policy and moved toward a policy of engagement.\nU.S. policy toward the region is conducted in the context of a Latin America that has become increasingly independent. The region has diversified its economic and diplomatic ties with countries outside the region. Over the past few years, several Latin American regional organizations have been established that do not include the United States, including the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States designed to boost regional integration and cooperation. Nevertheless, the United States still remains very much engaged in the region bilaterally and multilaterally. The policy shift on Cuba was lauded throughout the region and has helped bolster the image of the United States in Latin America. \nCongressional Action and Oversight\nCongress traditionally has played an active role in policy toward Latin America and the Caribbean in terms of both legislation and oversight. The most significant legislative action on the region in the first session of the 114th Congress was enactment of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (P.L. 114-113), also referred to as the FY2016 omnibus appropriations measure, signed into law in December 2015. The law has numerous provisions on foreign aid to the region, including $750 million for ramped-up funding for Central America to address the region\u2019s economic, security, and governance challenges. The FY2016 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 114-92), enacted in November 2015, also has provisions regarding increased support for Central America. Earlier in 2015, Congress approved an extension of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) through 2017 in the Trade Preferences Extension Act (P.L. 114-27), enacted in June, which benefits some 15 countries in the region. In December 2015, the House also passed H.Res. 536, which expresses support for freedom of the press in the region and condemns violations of press freedom and violence against journalists.\nOversight attention in the first session focused on such issues as U.S. interests in Latin America and the Caribbean; the Administration\u2019s policy shift on Cuba, including issues related to U.S. national security, human rights, U.S. agricultural trade, and U.S. property claims; the Administration\u2019s $1 billion aid request for Central America and the migration crisis in that sub-region; Venezuela\u2019s economic and political crisis, including the human rights situation; an overview of the situation in Haiti; the activities of Iran, China, and Russia in Latin America; energy issues; the status of Colombia\u2019s peace talks; and threats to press freedom in the Americas (see the Appendix for a listing of hearings). \nCongress will soon begin consideration of the Administration\u2019s FY2017 foreign aid request for the region. Looking ahead, congressional interest in the region in the second session of the 114th Congress may include Haiti\u2019s second presidential electoral round; the economic downturn in South America; the difficult political and economic situation in Venezuela; efforts to assist Central American countries contend with economic, security, and governance challenges; the situation in Cuba and the status of U.S.-Cuban relations; and potential consideration of implementing legislation for the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement that includes Mexico, Chile, Peru and eight other Pacific countries.\nThis report provides an overview of U.S. policy toward Latin America and the Caribbean. It begins with an overview of the political and economic environment that affects U.S. relations, and then examines the Obama Administration\u2019s policy toward the region. The report then examines congressional interests in Latin America, looking at selected regional and country issues. 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", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R43882", "sha1": "c490799c93e033b6334646746c2d2a6c7d69d03c", "filename": "files/20160120_R43882_c490799c93e033b6334646746c2d2a6c7d69d03c.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R43882", "sha1": "af2b5fbe2845cf494110668895d9c739214c8309", "filename": "files/20160120_R43882_af2b5fbe2845cf494110668895d9c739214c8309.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 281, "name": "Latin America and the Caribbean" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc501662/", "id": "R43882_2015Jan28", "date": "2015-01-28", "retrieved": "2015-03-30T22:03:27", "title": "Latin America and the Caribbean: Key Issues for the 114th Congress", "summary": "This report provides an overview of U.S. policy toward Latin America and the Caribbean. It begins with an overview of the political and economic environment that affects U.S. relations, and then examines the Obama Administration's policy priorities in the region. The report then examines congressional interests in Latin America, looking at selected regional and country issues.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20150128_R43882_1cd103ce32ffe2caf131d2ddc1700a8842bf6257.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20150128_R43882_1cd103ce32ffe2caf131d2ddc1700a8842bf6257.html", "source": "pymupdf" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign policy", "name": "Foreign policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations -- U.S. -- Latin America", "name": "Foreign relations -- U.S. -- Latin America" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations -- Caribbean -- U.S.", "name": "Foreign relations -- Caribbean -- U.S." } ] } ], "topics": [ "Appropriations", "Foreign Affairs", "Immigration Policy", "Industry and Trade", "Intelligence and National Security", "Latin American Affairs", "National Defense" ] }