Latin America surpasses the world average when it comes to the number of female lawmakers. Despite progress at the presidential and legislative levels, some countries in the region fall short on boosting the number of women in office.

On February 26, the Constitutional Court of Colombia ended more than two years of speculation about a possible third term in office for President Álvaro Uribe. With Uribe out of the running, AS/COA looks at Colombia’s presidential candidates.

"Latin America's 'democratic generation' remains satisfied with democracy," says AS/COA's Christopher Sabatini, discussing the attitudes of under-35 year-olds, a demographic that makes up 60 percent of the region.

In the The Wall Street Journal, COA's Eric Farnsworth says Brazil's vocal opposition to a new round of U.S.-led sanctions against Iran is a way for Brasilia "to build its own profile and put itself on the world stage in a way that will get it noticed."

"A lot of people in Washington are asking themselves if Brazil is a true partner of the U.S. or an emerging rival," says COA Vice President Eric Farnsworth. "In my opinion there will be a bit of both."

“This country has had a low tolerance for polarization,” said AS/COA's Christopher Sabatini, discussing the possibility of a strong political swing in Chile following rising criticism of the outgoing government's response in the aftermath of an 8.8-magnitude earthquake that rocked the country.

Hemispheric leaders help post-quake Chile, U.S. Secretary Hillary Clinton visits six Latin American countries, and OAS Secretary-General José Miguel Insulza makes his reelection case. Read these stories and more in the Weekly Roundup.

AS/COA's Christopher Sabatini tells Worldfocus that Chile is "well positioned, not just to be able to recover from [the earthquake] economically, but also politically in ways that I think should set an example for the rest of the hemisphere."

Americas Society is proud to present Marta Minujín: MINUCODEs, an exhibition that revisits an earlier project by Argentine artist Marta Minujín, held in 1968 at the Americas Society, known then as the Center for Inter-American Relations (CIAR). The project, called Minucode, explored social codes in four groups of leading figures in the arts, business, fashion and politics. Minujín collected social data through a series of cocktail parties attended by people who responded to a series of questionnaires the artist posted in the press.

Top U.S. diplomat Hillary Clinton is touring Latin America, rallying support for the United States in the region. During her trip Clinton will attend the inauguration of Uruguayan President-elect José Mujica, a former Tupamaros guerrilla, who is seen as a possible ally for Washington, says COA's Eric Farnsworth.

"I actually think Chile will grow quite substantially in 2010 because, while the impact of the earthquake will be felt in the first quarter, maybe the second, clearly reconstruction from the earthquake will have a stimulating effect on the economy," said AS/COA President and CEO Susan Segal on PBS' Worldfocus.

Brazil's Iran ties and a devestating earthquake in Chile have been the main focuses of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's Latin American travels this week. Her trip, from February 28 through March 5, brings her to Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Guatemala.

"There is a significant opportunity in the wake of the earthquake to build Haiti into a modern, economically stable, environmentally-sound nation," says COA Vice President Eric Farnsworth.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is scheduled to meet with Brazilian President Lula da Silva during her current tour of the region, where talks are expected to include discussions on Iran. Brasilia, however, will most likely continue a foreign policy direction independent from that of the United States, says AS/COA's Christopher Sabatini.

Just three months before presidential elections, Colombia's constitutional court voted 7 to 2 against allowing a referendum that would have permitted President Álvaro Uribe to seek a third consecutive term.

"The strategic equation in the Americas is changing and a lot is riding on Secretary Clinton's visit," says COA's Eric Farnsworth. "Managing the U.S. relationship with Brazil, a rising global power with big ambitions, is one of the most important strategic issues in the hemisphere," he added.

An 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck Chile on February 27. AS/COA Online shares links to more information and ways to support relief efforts.

Negative attitudes toward homosexuals in politics persist—even among the young.

Weapons buying stokes regional tensions.

U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Western Hemisphere Frank Mora joined COA for a discussion on security in the Americas. Watch the video.