Three will present papers at Latin studies conference

Three students from SUNY Fredonia will be giving papers at the Mid-Atlantic Council on Latin American Studies Conference March 30 and 31. The conference, entitled, "Latin America in Transition," is being held at Albright College in Reading, Pa.

The Fredonia undergraduates did their research under Dr. Ivani Vassoler of the political science department, who teaches courses in   in international politics, among them comparative politics of developing nations, U.S. foreign policy, International Political Economy and Latin American affairs.

Ashley Portman of Westfield, N.Y., will present the paper, "U.S. Policies Shaping Past and Present Human Rights Conditions in Latin America." The goal of the research was to examine the past and current conditions of human rights in two Latin American countries, El Salvador and Chile. "I wanted to understand the legacy of U.S. policies in the region," Ms. Portman said.  Analyzing past human rights abuses that were connected to U.S. military training and aid, she will examine the current human rights situation, and explore what the U.S. is doing to contribute to human rights in Latin America "in the post Cold War, post 9/11 environment," she said.

Dustin O'Brien of Salamanca, N.Y., will present, "U.S. Nicaraguan Affairs: From Tumultuous Times to More Peaceful Times?" With some funding from the English department (he is an English major and a political science major), Mr. O'Brien traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with two Sandinistas still involved with Daniel Ortega's administration. "They have been offering insights into their experiences with the Sandinista Revolution and Daniel Ortega's current expectations of relations with the U.S.," he said. "My work has basically been a review of our past history with Nicaragua and how that will impact future relations--especially considering Ortega's recent reelection."

Patrick Pugliese is presenting a paper based on his studies last  semester in Mexico during the presidential election. The senior political science and Spanish major attended ITESM campus in Cuernavaca to study Spanish, and while he was there researched some of the issues pertaining to Mexican and U.S. foreign relations after September 11, 2001. "In the early 90s, the U.S. support for the North American Free Trade Agreement put the two countries on very friendly terms, because of its implied benefit to the country's poor and its economy in general," he said. "Last fall, the only thing being talked about by the Bush Administration was border security."