Council of the Americas is an American organization whose stated goal is promoting

free trade Free trade is a trade policy that does not restrict imports or exports. It can also be understood as the free market idea applied to international trade. In government, free trade is predominantly advocated by political parties that hold econo ...

and open markets throughout the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

History

The group was founded in 1963 as the Business Group for Latin America by

David Rockefeller David Rockefeller (June 12, 1915 – March 20, 2017) was an American investment banker who served as chairman and chief executive of Chase Manhattan Corporation. He was the oldest living member of the third generation of the Rockefeller family, ...

, at the request of President

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...

as a means for business to fight the influence of

Fidel Castro Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (; ; 13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban revolutionary and politician who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and president from 1976 to 200 ...

in Latin America. The Kennedy administration conceded investment guarantees, which by 1967 would cost the government $600 million in the case of

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

alone. Almost 30 corporations participated by 1965, when the Business Group was reorganized as the Council for Latin America. Since that time, membership has grown to over 200 blue chip companies that represent the majority of the U.S. private investment in Latin America.

Present

Susan Louise Segal - CEO The Council hosts presidents, cabinet ministers, central bankers, government officials, and leading experts in economics, politics, business, and finance. This gives it access to information of the region. The Council of the Americas argues that free markets and private enterprise offer the most effective means to achieve regional economic growth. It has been a supporter of free trade agreements and has been instrumental in the conception of the

North American Free Trade Agreement The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA ; es, Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte, TLCAN; french: Accord de libre-échange nord-américain, ALÉNA) was an agreement signed by Canada, Mexico, and the United States that crea ...

(NAFTA) and the

Central American Free Trade Agreement Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

(CAFTA).

References

External links

Americas Society/Council of the Americas website

Americas Quarterly
{{DEFAULTSORT:Council Of The Americas Institutions founded by the Rockefeller family Trade blocs Latin America Politics of the Americas International organizations based in the Americas

History

Present

Further reading

See also

References

External links