Miami, center of the world

Latin CEO: Executive Strategies for the Americas, August-Sept, 2002

"Not only are we the center for transportation, logistics and trade, but also the center for telecommunications and media for Latin America," says Ana Maria Fernandez Haar, the CEO of The IAC Group and the current chair of the World Trade Center Miami. "We have the natural geopolitical climate for the FTAA."

The US Southern Command, which relocated from Panama to Miami after the Panama Canal was turned over to that nation's government, offers the same mixed list of reasons for choosing its new home. Among other reasons cited by US Southern Command spokesman Col. David McWilliams is Miami's intense cluster of fiber optic connections, needed for military command and coordination.

"Transportation? You want to go anywhere in the area, you almost always go through Miami. We used to go through Miami when we located in Panama City," says McWilliams. "This is also home to an enormous number of consulates. So, to be aware of what's happening, this is an important location. That's something that gets put into the equations for the Southern Command being here."

Thomas F. McLarty, who served former President Clinton as Chief of Staff, Counselor to the President and Special Envoy for the Americas, counts himself as a major advocate for Miami as the host city for the FTAA administration. He was among those who pushed for Miami as the locale for the Summit of the Americas in 1994.

While the Americas are clearly important to the city, he recently told an audience in Miami, "You must recognize how much Miami means to the Americas. You are viewed as the model of an open but secure environment where political leaders from Ottawa to Buenos Aires can come together."

Miami is not the only city vying to host the Permanent Secretariat. Among the top international contenders are Mexico City and Panama City, both of which also have commendable international business communities. Other US cities have also expressed interest in hosting the Secretariat, among them Atlanta, Houston and Dallas. All offer some elements found in Miami, but none have the full array so specifically oriented toward Latin America and the Caribbean.

"I don't think any other city brings together all of the elements that we do," says Jorge Ramierz of the Miami-based Florida Foreign Trade Association. "The fact that they are all here makes this city unique."

"Obviously other countries and cities in the United States are aware of the advantages of hosting the Permanent Secretariat and want a shot at this prize," says Gov. Bush. "However, the Miami population and culture, so representative of the Americas, the accessibility of Miami from all corners of the Hemisphere, and our service support infrastructure -- financial, professional, trade -- make Miami an ideal choice for the Permanent Secretariat. People from all corners of the Americas feel at home in Miami. In so many regards, Miami is the city for all the Americas, a true neutral ground for all the nations of the region."

Flying Time From Miami to Latin America By Country

INTERNATIONAL CITIES               FLYING TIME

Kingston, Jamaica                  1 hour, 10 minutes
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic  1 hour, 45 minutes
Guatemala City, Guatemala          2 hours
Managua, Nicaragua                 2 hours, 5 minutes
San Juan, Puerto Rico              2 hours, 5 minutes
San Salvador, El Salvador          2 hours, 15 minutes
San Jose, Costa Rica               2 hours, 20 minutes
Panama City, Panama                2 hours, 35 minutes
Caracas, Venezuela                 2 hours, 45 minutes
Mexico City, Mexico                2 hours, 50 minutes
Bogota, Colombia                   3 hours
Quito, Ecuador                     3 hours, 30 minutes
Lima, Peru                         4 hours, 30 minutes
La Paz, Bolivia                    5 hours
Asuncion, Paraguay                 6 hours, 45 minutes
Sao Paulo, Brazil                  7 hours, 30 minutes
Santiago, Chile                    8 hours
Buenos Aires, Argentina            8 hours
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil             8 hours
London, United Kingdom             8 hours
Paris, France                      8 hours, 15 minutes
Amsterdam, The Netherlands         8 hours, 20 minutes
Frankfurt, Germany                 8 hours, 20 minutes
Madrid, Spain                      8 hours, 15 minutes

U.S./CANADA CITIES       FLYING TIME

Atlanta, Georgia         1 hour, 24 minutes
Houston, Texas           2 hours, 20 minutes
New York City            2 hours, 30 minutes
Boston, Massachusetts    2 hours, 40 minutes
Chicago, Illinois        2 hours, 45 minutes
Washington, D.C.         2 hours, 50 minutes
Montreal, Canada         3 hours, 20 minutes
Los Angeles, California  4 hours, 30 minutes
Vancouver, Canada        6 hours, 10 minutes