The United States are turning back to what they have long regarded as their focal point backyard. Leaders from 33 Latin American countries meet today and until Sunday, in Trinidad and Tobago, the new US President Barack Obama for the fifth Summit of the Americas. A Summit intended to make a new start in relations between the two Americas. Finished the condescension, arrogance, or worse, indifference which characterized the attitude of the United States on the subcontinent under George Bush. As he explained in a forum yesterday published in many local newspapers, Barack Obama wants to propose to an area he knows little "a new partnership on behalf of our prosperity and our common security". Two major themes: energy and climate, sources of potential investments and development in Latin America, especially the Brazil, champion of renewable energy. Major while the region will judge unfairly hit by a global crisis triggered by the US, including by "bankers to blue eyes", in the controversial words of Brazilian President Lula.
Demining the Cuban record
The majority of the participants want to be the global crisis and the means to set out the essential theme of the Summit. But for this, it needed to demine the ultra-sensitive subject of Cuba, absent countries of the meeting and main thorn in relations between the two Americas. Barack Obama is used to do in announcing a few days before the Summit, the lifting of all restrictions on travel and money transfers of the Américano-Cubains to their country of origin. A unilateral measure that now called a gesture of Havana. "It is a sign of good faith, which shows that we wanted to exceed the mentality of the cold war of the last fifty years." "And with a little luck, we see signs that Cuba wants to do the same," said yesterday the American President on CNN, referring to the release of political prisoners and freedom of expression. All Latin American countries normalized their relations with Cuba and expect Washington lifting the embargo on the island. But most, including Lula, expect a gradual process. On the other hand, the Socialist President of Hugo Chávez Venezuela, close to Cuba ally, muster not reputation: he has already announced that he would veto the final Declaration of the meeting because it does not formally denounced the exclusion of Cuba from the Summit.
However, outside Cuba, subjects never fail. For Alfredo Valladao, Director of the Chair in Mercosur at Sciences po, "United States-Latin America relations can be defined by the Einstein's E mc2 equation: energy, migration and cocaine to the square (consumption and traffic). Energy is more than ever at the centre of the concerns of Washington, anxious to escape the oil of the Middle East, and interested in latinos resources. Immigration is at the heart of the discussions, including the Mexico, as well as a coordinated struggle against violence and drug trafficking.
Ensure free trade
"But the main claim of the region, it is the fight against protectionism," said Alfredo Valladao. Obama will have to reassure its partners on this issue and talk about free trade (especially with the Colombia) outstanding Conference agreements. It is also his interest. During the era Bush, China took the US defection to build close relationships throughout the region and invest massively. Big Sam has more time to lose.
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