An annual assembly of a panel of experts from the public and private sectors assessed specific foreign policy issues and recommended future direction. The oneset of the debt crisis in 1982 generated fears regarding the future of democracy in Latin America. The focus on the assembled experts was on the role of external pressures and the impact of U.S. policy, such as the Baker and Brady Plans, and of international financial institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. The United States can no longer control events in Latin America. The question now is how best to use the influence and resources that remain. Since the Cold War has ended, the United States now should support countries without fear of expansion of Soviet influence in the region. There was broad agreement among the participants that for Latin America to grow and develop, additional debt relief or loans should be granted by Europe, Japan, and Canada, and other industrialized countries should be encouraged to provide economic resources that are tied to economic reforms. (ML)