Highlights
– President Obama presents new diplomatic tone at the Summit
– Skeptics contend Chavez will wield the Summit events to empower his regime
– Chavez will continue Anti-American rhetoric despite Obama’s overtures
The Fifth Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago took place on April 17, 2009. The Summit’s aims were to consolidate a regional consensus regarding democratic ideals and to improve cross-national relationships and interdiction efforts. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez garnered much of the limelight during the events and will likely use the event to further his influence in Caracas in the near to medium-term.
Obama and Chavez Vie for Spotlight
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez held an almost celebrity status during the summit. Chavez presented President Barack Obama with a Spanish book titled, “The Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent,” and succeeded at capturing a “friendly” picture with the US executive.
• President Chavez and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton agreed to reinstate ambassadors to both countries at the Summit, a gesture of bilateral cooperation.
Numerous diplomats argued Chavez would wield Obama’s courtesy as a symbol to consolidate his growing power. Chavez has already capitalized on the handshake as propaganda by calling the Summit a missed opportunity by the Obama administration and the greatest “success” in Venezuelan political history.
President’ Obama’s willingness to engage Latin American leaders who have traditionally taken a more leftists bent towards the United States and international policy is a marked difference from his predecessor. The change, largely welcomed by most Latin American leaders, suggests that despite some significant ideological differences between the US and South America, major inroads may be reached in terms of economic and political relations in the comings months.
New Dialogue With A New Tone
The Obama administration defended his engagement at the Summit, arguing that relations with divergent personalities, namely Chavez, would be defused only through “personal diplomacy.” Obama stated that he hopes his new take on personal engagement would achieve three main goals:
• To Make countries more willing to cooperate with the US on tough issues, even if only on the margins;
• To lower Latin America’s tendency to view American policies in the region as entirely self-serving; and,
• To encourage nations already friendly to the US to be more willing to see the US as a “force for good or at least not a force for ill.”
The posture, one of inclusion and deference versus paternalism, constitutes a radical shift from the previous US administration. We expect President Obama to be more welcomed by Latin America’s leaders and find more flexible partners in the region in discussing economic, political and security issues in the coming months.
Erraticism
Hugo Chavez and other leaders seem open to President Obama, largely due to his immense popularity throughout Latin America. Although the Obama administration demonstrated its willingness to engage in open dialogue with friendly and non-friendly nations, the US will continue to demand that nations with questionable democratic norms take steps to strengthen traditional democratic principles.
We do not believe polite exchanges between Chavez and Obama demonstrate any real change in attitudes or expectations. Improved bilateral communication between the two leaders will likely be short-lived, as Chavez will continue his demagogy of criticism against the US in the near to medium-term.
