Washington debates about Latin America are all too often plagued by U.S.-centric perspectives and adherence to conventional wisdoms that are disconnected from the complex realities of the region.  The AULA Blog — managed by American University’s Center for Latin American & Latino Studies (CLALS) — aspires to stimulate fresh thinking and creative debate about Latin American public affairs and U.S.-Latin American relations by providing a space for concise, timely and cutting-edge analyses of unfolding developments and long term trends.

The blog features contributions from CLALS Faculty, Fellows and Staff, and invited outside experts, and is directed by CLALS Senior Research Fellow Fulton Armstrong and CLALS Director Ernesto Castañeda. We offer critical insight, innovative thinking and timely, provocative analysis of issues relating to hemispheric affairs.  Our goal is to be “non-gratuitously provocative” both to open up debate in the U.S. and to provide non-Washington-based readers with a glimpse into how critical eyes in our nation’s capital assess the forces that drive U.S. policy.  We seek to take full advantage of rapid online publication for the dissemination of ideas, and we encourage readers to re-post our writings under our creative commons license.