U.S. President Barack Obama travels to Trinidad and Tobago Friday for the 34-nation Summit of the Americas, where he will face growing demand to change U.S. policy toward communist Cuba. In Mexico City Thursday, President Obama said he does not expect relations between the U.S. and Cuba to "thaw overnight" following his decision to relax travel and money transfer restrictions for Cuban-Americans.

As near warfare erupts on the U.S. - Mexico border with drug trafficking cartels, Barack Obama is preparing to leave Thursday on a trip to Latin America and Mexico. The trip begins in Mexico on Thursday and moves to the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago from Friday - Sunday.

Latin-America has nearly doubled its military arsenals in the last six years indicates a new study published by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).

As the US presidential race takes an international stage this month, new coverage is emerging on how the citizens of Latin American and Caribbean countries view Senators John McCain and Barack Obama, and their prospective presidencies.

A recent molecular analysis of ancestry across Latin America has revealed a marked differentiation between regions and demonstrated a “genetic continuity” between pre-and post Columbian populations.

President Bush Friday urged the U.S. Congress to approve a set of free trade accords with Colombia, Panama and Peru. VOA's Brian Wagner reports that Mr. Bush said the trade deals will benefit U.S. business and boost democracy in the region.

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) has announced that the company has been recognized by three Hispanic magazines for the company's commitment to people of color, and more specifically, the Hispanic community.

Kodak has signed an agreement with IBM (NYSE: IBM) to perform hardware and software support services for its KODAK Picture Kiosks in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela and Peru.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is in Uruguay as part of a regional tour aimed at helping his country's bid for admission to the South American trade bloc Mercosur.

Mexico and Argentina have signed an agreement aimed at improving political and economic cooperation. Mexican President Felipe Calderon and his Argentine counterpart, Nestor Kirchner, signed the pact Monday in Mexico City.

The U.S. House of Representatives has agreed to ease restrictions on agricultural trade with Cuba, so that Cubans would no longer have to pay in advance for goods shipped to the island.

Pamela Cox, World Bank Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean, announced on June 29 the appointment of three new country directors for the region to head the units of Mexico and Colombia; the Andes: Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela; and the Southern Cone: Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay, effective July 1st, 2007.