An Agenda for Freedom 2007 stated that Latin America constitutes a substantial part of the West and that the Region was faced with the dilemma of choosing between the path of progress, democracy and openness, or the path of populism, backwardness and irrelevance within world affairs. Five years later, An Agenda for Freedom 2012 shows how the majority of the Latin American nations have chosen the right path. Latin America is now more prosperous, largely democratic and faces an excellent opportunity to consolidate its development. Nevertheless, it is still necessary to tackle certain key challenges: the Region must consolidate its middle classes, combat violence with the lawful instruments of the State and take on a more prominent role within the realm of world affairs. Based on the strength of a series of ideas that revolve around the concepts of freedom and democracy, Latin America finds itself in a position to take its place at the forefront of nations throughout the world.
