Roberta S. Jacobson: “The importance of Pope Francis as a figure in Latin America just cannot be overstated.”

We have strongly resisted attempts to be used as a distraction from Venezuela's real problems.

There is nothing in the policy that we undertook that was not something done in our national interest.

It is very important that we work with countries on improving their mechanisms for transparency, for openness, and for anticorruption measures.

The greatest progress so far is just the acceptance by both sides that we do want diplomatic relations.