The Association of American Chambers of Commerce in Latin America (AACCLA) held its 41st Annual Meeting and “Forecast on Latin America and the Caribbean” Conference, September 22-24, in Washington, D.C., to address significant issues in the American business community throughout Latin America – issues made much more relevant and pressing by the current political climate, both in the United States and across the hemisphere.

Moderator Adrean Scheid Rothkopf, and panelists Mike Zellner, Craig Kelly and Peter DeShazo at AACCLA's 41st Annual Meeting &

    The event featured John Murphy, Vice President, International Affairs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, being awarded with the Eagle of the Americas 2008 Award, followed by two days of panels and keynote speeches. Among those who spoke on US-Latin American and Caribbean Relations were Gladys Coupet, President, American Chamber of Commerce in Haiti, Country Corporate Officer, Citigroup (Haiti); Roberto Dañino, Deputy Chairman and Executive Director, Hochschild Mining Plc, and former Prime Minister of Peru; Thomas F. “Mack” McLarty III, President, McLarty Associates; and Moisés Naím, Editor, Foreign Policy, with Mauricio Cárdenas, Senior Fellow and Director, Latin America Initiative, The Brookings Instutition, moderating.
    On the topic of Presidential and Congressional Elections in the U.S. and the Implications for the Region, speakers included Brian Diffell, Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of the Republican Whip, U.S. House of Representatives; Claude Fontheim, CEO, Fontheim International, LLC; John Michael Gonzalez, Chief of Staff, Office of Congresswoman Melissa Bean, U.S. House of Representatives; Philip Levy, Resident Scholar, The American Enterprise Institute; with Nicole Venable, Director, International Trade and Global Competitiveness, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, moderating.
    Closing luncheon keynote speakers were H.E. Ana Vilma Escobar, Vice President of El Salvador and Christopher Padilla, Under Secretary, International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.

Francisco Santeiro and Ines Calderon at AACCLA's 41st Annual Meeting &