Another Obama Agenda Item: Repair Relationship With Latin America
Obama's to do list gets longer as the criminal Bush regime gets ready to leave office while leaving behind a gigantic mess, some of it caused by its high crimes and misdemeanors.
The Bushites ruined the US relationship with most of Latin America, except for countries like the right wing, anti-human rightsnation of Colombia which I've written about often. The latest news about the number of socio-political killings can be found here regarding the UN Human Rights Council and its investigations of the disappeances, murders, torture, and other human rights violations under the Uribe government.
Obama will have heavy lifting to do to repair the US relationship with our neighbors to the south.
The Insitute for Policy Studies explains: "Barack Obama’s electoral victory represents hope for a change in direction for US relations with Latin America and within the North American region — a change that departs from the Monroe Doctrine of U.S. superiority over its "backyard" neighbors. North American pundits have already been suggesting that a new U.S. administration must focus its energies on the current economic crisis along with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — leaving no time to deliver on other campaign promises, such as putting into practice a new "good neighbor" policy in the Americas and revisiting existing and pending free trade agreements.
The Bushites ruined the US relationship with most of Latin America, except for countries like the right wing, anti-human rightsnation of Colombia which I've written about often. The latest news about the number of socio-political killings can be found here regarding the UN Human Rights Council and its investigations of the disappeances, murders, torture, and other human rights violations under the Uribe government.
Obama will have heavy lifting to do to repair the US relationship with our neighbors to the south.
The Insitute for Policy Studies explains: "Barack Obama’s electoral victory represents hope for a change in direction for US relations with Latin America and within the North American region — a change that departs from the Monroe Doctrine of U.S. superiority over its "backyard" neighbors. North American pundits have already been suggesting that a new U.S. administration must focus its energies on the current economic crisis along with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — leaving no time to deliver on other campaign promises, such as putting into practice a new "good neighbor" policy in the Americas and revisiting existing and pending free trade agreements.
"The pundits may not be giving the 44th President and his team enough credit when it comes to their ability to multi-task. With expectations so high, Obama will need to move on various fronts simultaneously to show he's working at fulfilling the hopes that have been raised. These next few months will be important ones to be able to demonstrate to all the other countries in the American continent — from Canada to Argentina — that the U.S. is turning its back on the continental ill will generated by the Bush administration. In its place, Obama will want to communicate that the U.S. has a new vision for this hemisphere, one that is based on equality, respect, and understanding. The new administration will be up against a deadline to showcase this new policy direction when the heads of state from all countries in the hemisphere are present at the V Summit of the Americas, to be held in Trinidad and Tobago April 17-19, 2009.
"The new Obama administration will need to recognize that the largest economies in South America have been moving away from the “Washington Consensus”, a neoliberal straight-jacket forced on developing countries over the past three decades by U.S.-backed lending institutions such as the IMF and the IDB (Inter-American Development Bank). The accompanying concept of free trade has become anathema to most people in the hemisphere, as the disparity between rich and poor has widened dramatically, despite promises to the contrary. The recent phenomenon of the democratic election of a growing number of left-leaning governments in this hemisphere is a direct result of the failed structural adjustment policies that Washington has imposed since the 80s, with the help of the ruling elites in most Latin American countries."
Read the entire excellent piece.
Comments