Clinton to Support Costa Rica & Latin American Business Owners

Latin America has been absent from United States President Barack Obama's foreign policy priorities since he took office in January 2009. Despite pledging to renew his country's partnership with Latin America at the outset of his term, Obama's energy has been focused on the Middle East and Asia.

With U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit to South and Central America this week, there came a new pledge to invest in the region. Through the Pathways to Prosperity in the Americas program introduced in 2008, Clinton said the United States would work to close economic gaps by targeting small businesses and women-driven enterprises.

“Talent is present everywhere. You can visit any town or school from Alaska to Patagonia and you'll see it but, unfortunately, opportunity is far from universal,” Clinton said at a meeting of foreign ministers at the Intercontinental Hotel in Escazu, in Costa Rica's Central Valley. “Too many people in too many places have never had the chance to realize their dreams of starting a business, pursuing an education, or lifting themselves and their families out of poverty. The U.S. will be focusing on several pathway initiatives to support entrepreneurs and create new opportunities across the Americas.”

Clinton said the U.S. would focus on the creation of small business development centers to help new enterprises, support and mentoring of women entrepreneurs and the modernization of rules involving loans to new Costa Rica business owners.

“We're not just talking about micro interventions …We're talking about assisting individuals and businesses by promoting broader change in order to realize the objectives we share,” she said.

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