Formation 1975 Website www.coha.org Founded 1975 Revenue 97,416 USD | Expenses (2015) $69,999 Founder Larry Birns Director Larry Birns Leader Larry Birns | |
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Type Non-governmental organization Location 2501 Calvert Street, N.W., Suite 401 Headquarters Washington, D.C., United States Similar Center for International Policy, Washington Office on Latin Am, Center for Public Integrity, Institute for Policy Studies, The Washington Institute f | ||
The Council on Hemispheric Affairs (COHA) is a leftist Washington, D.C.-based non-governmental organization (NGO) founded in 1975. In its own words, it was established to "promote the common interests of the [Western] hemisphere, raise the visibility of regional affairs and increase the importance of the inter-American relationship, as well as encourage the formulation of rational and constructive U.S. policies towards Latin America."
Contents
History
The Council on Hemispheric Affairs was founded in 1975 to promote the interest of the American hemisphere, to take regional issues into focus and to reinforce the importance of inter-American relations. One focus is the development of a constructive US policy with regards to the Latin American countries. COHA decided in 1982 that in the future it will observe Canada's relations with Latin America. Since its inception, the leadership of the COHA is made up of representatives of major trade unions, organizations and religious groups, and also includes important civic and academic figures. COHA supports representative democracy and pluralistic institutions. COHA is non-partisan and is not part of political alliances. It supports open and democratic political processes and condemns all authoritarian regimes. In the past, the COHA has expressed criticism of US policy towards Haiti, Cuba, Venezuela and neo-liberal social reforms in Latin America.
The Director
Larry Birns has been the director of COHA since its founding in 1975. A former defense researcher and strategist and member of the Institute for Strategic Studies in London, and a member of Oxford's All Souls College, he was a senior grade public affairs officer for the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America in Santiago, Chile during the Allende government. Birns taught and lectured for 15 years in the fields of Latin American studies, comparative government, and international law at a number of U.S. and British colleges and universities.
Reception
The Boston Globe describes Birns as a lobbyist and a liberal critic of U.S. policy, and The New York Times says the Council on Hemispheric Affairs is a liberal research group specializing in United States-Latin America relations. The Los Angeles Times describes the COHA as a liberal think tank.
The Heritage Foundation stated that the Council on Hemispheric Affairs had a leftist positioning and would exaggerate negative publicity about right-wing governments in Latin America and was funded by Orlando Letelier. The council was also described as a leftist lobby by Ofira Seliktar in Failing the Crystal Ball Test. It has also been stated that the council, especially its director Larry Birns, supported Hugo Chávez and his Bolivarian Revolution.
Funding
The Council on Hemispheric Affairs was allegedly founded with assistance from Orlando Letelier and Richard Barnet of the left-wing think tank, Institute for Policy Studies. It has been funded by the Judith Loeb Chiara Foundation.