Americas Society hosts distinguished translator and literary scholar Roberto Márquez May 8 as he presents his authoritative anthology of Puerto Rican poetry. The volume incorporates the work of sixty-four poets, as well as anonymous authors of popular verse forms. Márquez and participating poets will discuss and read from the anthology.

Weekly Roundup: Hemispheric Leaders Gather at COA Conference, Chile handles a national disaster, and Canada loosens food aid rules. Read these stories and more in the Weekly Roundup.

AS/COA hosts a May 9 round table discussion and book launch of Can Latin America Compete? Panelists include the editor, Florida International University's Jerry Haar, as well as AS/COA Senior Director of Policy Christopher Sabatini, Standard and Poor's Lisa Schineller, and Bear Stearns' John Welch.

Universal welfare programs are returning to the social policy mix in the hemisphere. By their very nature, limited social assistance policies have limited impact, writes José Antonio Ocampo. Read the full text of the article in the Spring 2008 issue of Americas Quarterly, released April 24.

AS/COA’s second microfinance roundtable discussion provided an opportunity to discuss challenges and opportunities for expanding its outreach in Latin America. The sector has favored a commercial approach as Latin American microfinance moves beyond the distribution of loans.

Cuba's new President is anything but, and the much expected change in power will bring only minor modifications for Cuba's long-suffering citizens, write Gary Max and Cecilia Vaisman. Read a preview of this article appearing in a special report on Cuba in the Spring 2008 issue of Americas Quarterly.