Obama Begins Outreach to Latin America

11.21.09

LIFESTYLE

Obama Begins Outreach to Latin America

by Mariela Rosario | 03.17.2009 | 5:00pm | 6 Comments

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President Obama met with Brazilian head of state Lula da Silva on Saturday as part of a new effort to open up dialogue with Latin America. Over the 8 years that President Bush was in power in the United States, South America saw an explosion of leftist leadership.

The relationship with Venezuela was particularly strained by the attempted coup in 2002, which as far as President Hugo Chavez is concerned, was US supported, and by inflammatory remarks made by Chavez with regards to President Bush. Most recently, relations suffered a blow when both countries expelled each other's ambassadors in 2008. While Lula has been given a "green light" from Chavez to broker a renewal of U.S.-Venezuela relations, Obama apparently also sees the Brazilian leader as an ideal go between for his administration and the more militantly socialist regimes in power in both Venezuela and Bolivia.

President Obama also announced trips by both Vice President Biden and Secretary Clinton to the region. Vice President Biden will travel to Chile for a regional conference on progressive governance hosted by President Michelle Bachelet that will also include the presidents of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. Clinton will be headed to Monterrey, Mexico to discuss the Merida Initiative, immigration issues and border security. Many see these trips as a method of smoothing the way for next month's Summit of the Americas in Trinidad, where all the leaders of the Western Hemisphere will be meeting.

"This bodes well for U.S.-Latin America relations," President Lula told TIME. "We are all awaiting the new page President Obama has promised to turn."

6 Comments

Dolce
03.18.2009
11:10am

reason i love lula is because he is a moderate, rational leader, not too far left or right, even though his sensibilities are leftist. chavez is too emotional and extremist and he is not prudent when he speaks. it sacrifices his diplomacy. i don't agree with much of what he says or does, and it's unfortunate all of latin america is taking a cue from his extremism at the expense of their countries' progress. there is a reason brazil and peru (thanks to president alan garcia) have experienced growth amid the global recession and that's because they are rational leaders with their countries' best interest in mind. you don't completely shut out foreign investment and alienate the world; unfortunately the global economy is all intertwined, so whether you like it or not, you must work with other countries. lula has found a way to stand up for himself and his country and still work together with the rest of the world. so when he speaks, people listen, rather than laugh at him like they do when chavez opens his mouth. i hope more countries in latin america can take a cue from lula if we truly want progress. anybody can label themselves "revolutionary," but when all you do is depend on your country's oil supply and shut out all other forms of economic growth, what's so honorable about that? create jobs and grow your GDP, that's honorable.

docura99
03.18.2009
9:18am

obama is the man!!! proud of those countries not letting USA controls their countries...go chavez, go lula

TD
03.17.2009
8:49pm

Hippo, er ugh, Hugo Chavez couldn't identify a person with class, intelligence, and morals if he/she was standing right in front of him. Hippo Chavez was given the titled "The Devil" after his patheitc and moronic babeling in front of the United Nations. The world was in shock after they heard his rantings. He is a peon and has nothing but unintelible mismush to regeritate from his fat filthy mouth. Of course, the U.S. government wanted to support a more friendly, competent, moral person to run a country. Who wouldn't? Thanks for letting me have my say, TD:)

bonita1106
03.17.2009
8:19pm

Part of the reason that Latin America took such a sharp swing to the left was because of policies promoted by neo-liberals and conservatives. Chavez is totally correct in his assumption that the 2002 coup was backed by the US, the man "appointed" to replace him at the time was a total puppet for the US gov't, a known and established fact. He is not as some would suggest, the "devil", and it is very encouraging that Obama, rather than being a reactionary ideologue, realizes that everyone has something to contribute and the US could have a lot to gain from a mutually respectful and beneficial with Latin America. And yes, LULA does rock!

TD
03.17.2009
7:32pm

Hugo Chavez is the DEVIL himself! The nerve of that peon, low class monster to state that he gave Lula the "Green Light" to speak with Obama. Lula and Chavez and their people deserve each other! We should boycott all products from these countries. Two more morons ruling! We don't need Embassy's there, we need more intelligence infiltration.Thanks for letting me have my say, TD:)

Dolce
03.17.2009
5:31pm

Lula! Lula! He rocks.