Summer Internships: The Council on Foreign Relations

This summer, we’ll be featuring real-time reflections from CIPA Fellows currently completing internships at organizations across the globe.  First up is Luis Ferreira (’14), who hails from Venezuela and is concentrating in Government, Politics, and Policy Studies. 

This summer, I am interning with the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), a nonprofit, nonpartisan, membership organization, publisher, and think tank that specializes in foreign policy and international affairs. Founded in 1921, CFR is a crucial resource for those interested in foreign affairs. CFR also publishes the magazine Foreign Affairs.

I am interning with the Latin America Studies program, where I research economic, social, and political issues on the region, as well as provide research for blog posts, op-eds, research papers, and other documents for the program’s Senior Fellow. So far, I have done research on political and economic reforms in Mexico, economic statistics on Venezuela, and compiled news reports on Brazil. Starting next month, I will also be involved in researching the trade competitiveness of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

As a Venezuelan, I have close ties with Latin America. My internship with CFR will provide me with the skills I need to expand my professional development, as well as expand my knowledge of a region that I want to concentrate on for my professional career. Although Latin America has historically been pushed aside by Washington’s foreign and economic policies, the region has seen a tremendous change in the last 30 years, having seen democratization, social transformation, and impressive economic growth. Similarly, due to its strong political, economic, historical, and cultural ties with the United States, what happens in Latin America affects every aspect of American life. It is my hope to increase public knowledge of the Latin American region within this country so that the U.S. may be encouraged to further engage with the regional governments and people.

In terms of my second year at Cornell, I may incorporate my research with CFR into the CIPA writing requirement. While I have been considering writing a thesis discussing the effects inequality has on political stability, this could change depending on the work that I do at CFR. I am also looking into taking a few more international trade classes, as this is an essential topic not only for U.S.-Latin American relations, but for the entire globe.

Overall, interning at CFR has been and continues to be an incredible opportunity. The individuals I have met thus far have been wonderful, helpful, and insightful people that are passionate about their work and are the backbone of CFR’s mission.