Three years after being received by Latin American leaders as a super-star, US President Barack Obama faces scepticism and disappointment at this weekend’s Summit of the Americas for failing to meet promises of a new era in relations with the region.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton confirmed she will be visiting Brazil next week following the Summit of the Americas scheduled for April 14/15 in Colombia. Her trip follows on the Brazilian president visit to the White House where both leaders, Dilma Rousseff and Barack Obama politely but unyielding kept to their positions.
Brazil ranks as the fourth largest source of overseas visitors to the United States with 1.5 million visits in 2011, which represents a 26% increase from 2010 said the State Department in a release. With these figures on the table “the Department of State is taking action to expand the already extensive ties between our nations”.
Jim Yong Kim, the US nominee to head the World Bank, told the bank's board of directors that he would not hesitate to question the status quo and do his best to help the world poorest.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton described Brazil as a “responsible country” in world affairs and praised Brazil’s “growing impact in global stability and security”, during an event at the US Chamber of Commerce.
US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said banks need to have more capital at hand in order to ensure the financial system is stable. Bernanke said regulators were taking steps to force financial institutions to hold higher capital buffers, even if they allow for a long period of implementation to prevent any market disruptions.
Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff on Tuesday launched an initiative to deepen ties with the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). After meeting Monday at the White House with President Barack Obama, Rousseff continued her short visit to the United States with meetings in the Boston area where MIT is based.
Drought in major soybean producers Brazil and Argentina cut their production more deeply than expected the US government said on Tuesday in a report that drove prices to near their highest since 2008.
Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff complained about US monetary policy and expressed concern that sanctions against Iran could backfire in a meeting with President Barack Obama on Monday, highlighting strains between the continent’s biggest economies.
Argentine president Cristina Fernandez will be attending on Saturday the VI Americas summit to be held in Colombia, which is already involved in a strong controversy because of the non invitation to Cuba.