Latin America's importance to the global economy is immense and growing. Capital investment into the region has increased 405% to $6.6 billion in the last year alone, and Brazil is leading the pack. The country has the fifth largest population in the world and the seventh largest economy in the world. It will host the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016, and more significantly,may be on the verge of tapping significant oil fields. It's in our national interest for the U.S. to be on the ground floor of Brazil's growth and to become an important and essential ally to them.
Investment opportunity in the Americas isn't just a one-way street. 3G Capital, a firm backed by Brazilian investors, recently purchased Burger King for $3.3 billion -- the largest restaurant acquisition in a decade. And in 2008, Belgian-Brazilian beer giant InBev acquired Anheuser-Busch for $52 billion. It doesn't get any more American than hamburgers and beer.
President Obama, you will always be needed both domestically and internationally. But by going to Latin America this past week, you showed the region -- and Latinos here at home -- that we matter. Thank you for doing the right thing.
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