One has not experienced the pleasure of life without seeing Rio from Corcovado, attending a samba show and spending New Year's eve on Copacabana Beach. At this time, the city and country are in much better condition, although massive problems remain. If there had been more cultural exchange, rather than raw business interest, for the past 100 years, the US policy toward its southern neighbors may not have been so short-sightedly bad. From the technical aspect, a somewhat different cross section of the technical community is present than at the usual meetings. I have heard none of these results through normal channels.
Travel is difficult for many in South America.
Furthermore the tour package has made accommodations less expensive for those from the north. The balance was better in San Juan, where travel assistance was available for attendees from Latin America. So we may have a total of about 300 participants with half from Latin America. In addition, more local student participation will be encouraged.