Former President Jimmy Carter celebrated his 100th birthday on Tuesday. During his four years in office and throughout his long post-presidency, he has been a champion of democracy and human rights. In Latin America, he is best known for adopting a tougher posture toward the region's Cold War dictatorships and for negotiating the Panama Canal Treaties and winning Senate approval in 1977, after a prolonged and bitter debate. The agreements committed the United States to turn over control of the canal to Panama, a handover that occured in 1999. Today, the Atlanta-based Carter Center, founded by the former president, is active in Latin America. In July, it was one of the few international observers that monitored Venezuela's elections and its conclusion that the process "did not meet international standards" has helped shape international opinion.