The Summit of the Americas, hosted in San Diego in June, brought about tense interactions between the U.S. and our hemispheric neighbors to the south. Debate about the guestlist, threats of boycott, and challenges to the agenda were just a few of the reasons many felt the gathering did not accomplish as much as it could have.  Ambassador McKinley will argue that a wholesale reset of the relationship between the U.S. and the rest of the Americas is in order. With the recent elections of several leftist leaders in Latin America and increasing Chinese investment seen by these leaders as a solution to ongoing economic woes, Ambassador McKinley will warn that the time to reframe the relationship and set the groundwork for productive cooperation moving forward is now.

Ambassador P. Michael McKinley is Senior Adviser in the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. A four-time ambassador to Peru, Colombia, Afghanistan and Brazil, his 37-year career as a diplomat covered issues in development, trade, and peace negotiations. He also oversaw refugee resettlement programs for populations in Africa, Europe, and Latin America from 2001-2004. Ambassador McKinley is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including State Department Distinguished Honor Awards and Presidential Performance Awards.

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