Expert on Latin America to Speak at UA

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Dr. Brian Latell, a noted Latin America and Caribbean specialist, will give a talk as a guest of The University of Alabama department of history and its Program in Latin American and Hispanic Studies. The talk will be in room 205 Gorgas Library on the UA campus at 2 p.m., Monday, Oct. 16.

Latell, a distinguished Cuba analyst and recent author of the book, “After Fidel: The Inside Story of Castro’s Regime and Cuba’s Next Leader,” is a senior associate at the Americas Program of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C.

In 1998, Latell retired after 35 years as a foreign intelligence officer, having served in the U.S. Air Force and for extended periods as a Latin America specialist at the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Intelligence Council. From 1994 to 1998, he served as director of the Center for the Study of Intelligence, where he managed programs in intelligence history, records declassification, and academic outreach.

From 1990 to 1994, he was national intelligence officer for Latin America, the highest-ranking analytic position for that region in the U.S. intelligence community.

“He has, and continues to, move in the highest government circles with respect to Latin America and Cuba,” said Dr. Larry Clayton, professor and chair of history at UA and interim director of the Program in Latin American and Hispanic Studies. “Dr. Latell can provide great insight and help us better understand Latin American political history and culture.”

The talk is free and open to the public.

The UA history department and the Program in Latin American and Hispanic Studies are part of the College of Arts and Sciences, the University’s largest division and the largest public liberal arts college in the state. Students from the College have won numerous national awards including Rhodes Scholarships, Goldwater Scholarships and memberships on the “USA Today” Academic All American Team.

Note to Editors: Dr. Brian Latell will be available for interview at 3 p.m. Monday, Oct. 16 (following the lecture) in 205 Gorgas Library.