Council of the Americas is an American organization whose stated goal is promoting free trade and open markets throughout the Americas.
History
thumb|205px|Headquarters at the Percy R. Pyne House.
thumb|left|Susan Louise Segal - CEO
The group was founded in 1963 as the Business Group for Latin America by David Rockefeller, at the request of President John F. Kennedy as a means for business to fight the influence of Fidel Castro in Latin America. The Kennedy administration conceded investment guarantees, which by 1967 would cost the government $600 million in the case of Chile alone. Almost 30 corporations participated by 1965, when the Business Group was reorganized as the Council for Latin America.
Further reading
- Memoirs, David Rockefeller, New York: Random House, 2002.
See also
- North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
- Free Trade Area of the Americas
References
External links
- Americas Society/Council of the Americas website
- Americas Quarterly