Latin America rebels against Obama over Cuba

http://news.yahoo.com/latin-america-rebels-against-u-over-cuba-193839285.html


CARTAGENA, Colombia (Reuters) - Unprecedented Latin American opposition to U.S. sanctions on Cuba left President Barack Obama isolated at a summit on Sunday and illustrated Washington's declining influence in a region being aggressively courted by China.

Unlike the rock-star status he enjoyed at the 2009 Summit of the Americas after taking office, Obama has had a bruising time at the two-day meeting in Colombia of some 30 heads of state.
Sixteen U.S. security personnel were caught in an embarrassing prostitution scandal before Obama arrived, Brazil and others have bashed Obama over U.S. monetary policy and he has been on the defensive over Cuba and calls to legalize drugs.

Due to the hostile U.S. and Canadian line on communist-run Cuba, the heads of state failed to produce a final declaration as the summit fizzled out on Sunday afternoon.
"There was no declaration because there was no consensus," said Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos. He bristled at suggestions the summit had been a failure, however, saying the exchange of different views was a sign of democratic health. For the first time, conservative-led U.S. allies like Mexico and Colombia are throwing their weight behind the traditional demand of leftist governments that Cuba be invited to the next Summit of the Americas.

Cuba was kicked out of the Organization of American States (OAS) a few years after Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution and has been kept out of its summits due mainly to U.S. opposition.
But Latin American leaders are increasingly militant in opposing both Cuba's exclusion and the 50-year-old U.S. trade embargo on the Caribbean island. "The isolation, the embargo, the indifference, looking the other way, have been ineffective," Santos said. "I hope Cuba is at the next summit in three years." Santos, a major U.S. ally in the region who has relied on Washington for financial and military help to fight guerrillas and drug traffickers, has become vocal about Cuba's inclusion even though he also advocates for democratic reform by Havana.

CLINTON PARTIES IN "CAFE HAVANA"

In an ironic twist to the debate, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton went dancing in the early hours of Sunday at a Cartagena bar called Cafe Havana, where Cuban music is played.
Argentine President Cristina Fernandez, who has insisted without success that Washington recognize its claim to the Falkland Islands controlled by Britain, was one of several presidents who left the summit well before its official closure.

She missed a verbal gaffe by Obama, who referred to the "Maldives" instead of the "Malvinas" when using the name Latin Americans give to the disputed islands. The leftist ALBA bloc of nations - including Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Nicaragua and some Caribbean nations - said they will not attend future summits without Cuba's presence. "It's not a favour anyone would be doing to Cuba. It's a right they've had taken away from them," Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega said from Managua.

Although there were widespread hopes for a rapprochement with Cuba under Obama when he took office, Washington has done little beyond ease some travel restrictions. It insists Cuba must first make changes, including the release of political prisoners. Obama told a news conference after the summit he was "puzzled" that nations that had themselves emerged from authoritarian rule would overlook that in Cuba. "I and the American people will welcome a time when the Cuban people have the freedom to live their lives, choose their leaders and fully participate in this global economy and international institutions. We haven't gotten there yet," he said.
Obama urged Cuba to look at political and economic transformations in Colombia, Brazil and Chile for inspiration.

PROSTITUTION SCANDAL

The prostitution saga was a big embarrassment for Obama and a blow to the prestige of his Secret Service, the agency that provides security for U.S. presidents. It was the talk of the town in the historic Caribbean coastal city of Cartagena. Eleven Secret Service agents were sent home and five military servicemen grounded after trying to take prostitutes back to their hotel the day before Obama arrived. Obama said in general his security personnel did an extraordinary job under stressful circumstances but he would be annoyed if the allegations were proven by an investigation.

"We represent the people of the United States and when we travel to another country I expect them to observe the highest standards," Obama said of the reports. "If it turns out that some of the allegations that have been made in the press are confirmed, then of course I will be angry."
A local policeman told Reuters the affair came to a head when hotel staff tried to register a prostitute at the front desk but agents refused and waved their ID cards. Locals were unimpressed and upset at the negative headlines."Someone who's charged with looking after the security of the most important president in the world cannot commit the mistake of getting mixed up with a prostitute," said Cartagena tourist guide Rodolfo Galvis, 60. "This has damaged the image of the Secret Service, not Colombia."

The divisive end to the summit added to strain on the U.S.-dominated system of hemispheric diplomacy that was built around the OAS but is struggling to adapt to changes in the region.
"I'm not sure the next summit will even be possible," said Carlos Gaviria, a Colombian politician and former presidential candidate. Perceived U.S. neglect of Latin America has allowed China to move strongly into the region and become the leading trade partner of Brazil and various other nations. Regional economic powerhouse Brazil has led criticism at the summit of U.S. and other rich nations' expansionist monetary policy that is sending a flood of funds into developing nations, forcing up local currencies and hurting competitiveness.
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff called it a "monetary tsunami" that Latin American nations had the right to defend themselves from. Cheering the mood a bit, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk announced that a U.S.-Colombia free trade agreement will come into force in the middle of May. With a presidential election looming, Obama had portrayed his visit to the summit as a way to generate jobs at home by boosting trade with Latin America.

(Editing by Bill Trott)

The United States is taking its Latin American partners for granted which is opening the door for other countries to step in

By Laura Ebert
April 2, 2012

In March 2011, President Obama pledged a new era of partnership with Latin America during a 5-day trip to the region. The focus did not remain on Latin America for long, as the trip was overshadowed by the U.S. decision to intervene in Libya. More recently, the Obama administration announced a shift in foreign policy focus from the Middle East to the Asia-Pacific region, while largely ignoring Latin America. Moreover, as the presidential election approaches, none of the candidates has yet put forth a comprehensive policy towards Latin America, and the region is rarely discussed on the campaign trail.

Latin America is a vital region to U.S. interests and merits more attention from the Obama administration and the presidential candidates. In additional to its geographic proximity, Latin America is strategically important for many reasons. Most Latin American countries support U.S. policies and have embraced democracy and open economic systems, making the region a natural partner for the United States. The U.S. economy is deeply intertwined with that of Latin America, and the region is exceptionally open to U.S. business. Latin America is also the fastest growing U.S. export market. Between 1998 and 2009, trade to Latin America grew by 82%. Furthermore, over half of the U.S. foreign-born population comes from Latin America, which allows the United States to take advantage of close cultural, personal, and professional connections between the regions.

The United States has always played a dominant role in Latin America, but while our attention is focused elsewhere, other countries are making inroads and gaining influence. China, in particular, has been lending to and trading with the region to an unprecedented degree. In 2010, China lent more to the region than the World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, and United States Export-Import Bank combined . China also recently supplanted the United States as the top trading partner in several Latin American nations including Brazil, Peru, and Chile. Failure to engage the region economically means the United States is losing market share in this fast growing export market.

Similarly, by failing to make progress on regional problems like the illegal drug trade, corruption, poverty, and violence, the U.S. is losing the region's trust in its policies. Drug trade-related deaths in Mexico rose 11% in 2010 on top of a 70% rise in deaths in 2009. Even while progress appears to have been made in places like Colombia, the problems have only been pushed elsewhere, as surrounding countries such as Peru, Venezuela, and Ecuador experience rising violence attributed to drug cartels. Similarly, while poverty rates have fallen, Latin America remains the world’s most unequal region with significant barriers to social and economic mobility.

The result of these failures is regional polarization and instability, which threaten U.S. national security and contribute to illegal immigration. Increasing violence and corruption threaten rule of law and democratic institutions in already weak and struggling states like Honduras. The drug trade displaces legitimate economic activity and increases transportation and security costs. This discourages investment, which has a negative effect on economic growth. The lack of jobs and security has caused many to flee, often illegally, to the United States. Others have embraced policies touted by U.S. rivals. Countries like Iran have already taken advantage of the diminished support for U.S. policies in places like Venezuela and Nicaragua, garnering support for pursuing Iranian policies instead. Recent reports of covert Iranian activities in Latin America demonstrate the potential security concern.

In response, the President and the presidential hopefuls should develop comprehensive strategies aimed at engaging Latin America and participating in multilateral partnerships to deal with the issues at stake. Particular focus should be placed on further integrating the region's economies and encouraging open, pro-democratic, and sustainable economic development. Sustainable development will go a long way to alleviate the poverty and address the lack of alternatives that currently drive illegal immigration and participation in the drug trade. Multilateral initiatives and trade agreements will strengthen inter-country cooperation and economic integration, bringing the region closer together and counteracting polarizing forces like Venezuela's Hugo Chavez. Other initiatives that can revitalize and refocus the U.S.-Latin American relationship include regional cooperation on security, immigration reform, simplification of the visa process faced by Latin American businessmen in the U.S., and support of non-governmental organizations that promote human rights, education, and democracy.

The U.S. is taking its Latin American partners for granted. If the U.S. continues to place little emphasis on the region, it may soon see its influence erode and its partnerships weaken. Other countries with significantly different values and political goals will take its place. As the President and the presidential candidates formulate and debate their economic strategies, they would be wise not to forget Latin America.