MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Latinamerican praise for Obama’s performance at the summit

Latam also falls to the Obama diplomacy

Although “deeds must follow words”, the world’s “honey moon” with President Obama has extended to Latinamerica following his display at the Summit of the Americas where he managed to modify substantially the emphasis of the region’s leaders towards the new administration, according to different analysts.

“The hyper-energy of Obama has reached Latinamerica; what we are seeing is that the world’s honey moon with the US president has extended to Latinamerica” according to Peter Lewis from the University of Chile’s Institute of International Studies.

Peruvian Foreign Affairs minister Jose García Belaúnde believes “Obama was the great victor of the summit”, based on his message, his quick response capacity and his willingness to avoid polarization.

“Even when he had never visited the region he arrived at the summit and face to face discussed all issues, and avoided none: Cuba was the star without being present and he took the initiative to shake hands with Hugo Chavez. That was remarkable”, said Colombian former Foreign Affairs minister Emma Mejia.

La Nación, the leading daily from Buenos Aires under the headline “Seeds of a new relation” said that 36 hours of Obama’s diplomacy were enough to turn out, like a glove, the tone of the region’s address, beginning with Venezuela’s Chavez who left aside his “incendiary speeches”.

Professor Juan Gabriel Tokatlian, from the Social Sciences Latinamerican Faculty and member of the Saint Andrews University of Buenos Aires, said the Trinidad Tobago summit could have institutionalized the end of an era.

“Possibly it will have the opportunity and capacity to close a chapter because Latinamerica represents the last bastion where the Cold War somehow persisted”.

President Obama’s insistence he had gone to the summit “to talk about the future, not the past”, and that “deeds must follow words”, were the synthesis of his message and the challenge to Cuba to keep advancing in the road to openness, free elections and liberation of political prisoners.

The US president also underlined to his peers that they are all freely elected, legitimate leaders, and it’s only natural that such a condition should be expected from whoever is in the waiting list.

Ricardo Marino, president of the Latinamerican Federation of Banks was also optimistic about the results of the Trinidad Tobado summit which should enhance trade relations with the region.

“The Barack Obama administration is knocking down barriers, even ideological ones, opening to Latinamerica, cooperating with all different governments and restabilising the trade relations we need in the region”, said Marino.

“Under the leadership of Obama there’s a different emphasis in diplomatic relations. It’s not only Europe and Asia but also Latinamerica that are important trade partners. This should mean more trade, more investments, which will help overcome the current global crisis and hopefully keep protectionism away”.