Barack Obama and his vision of Latin America

Barack Obama

Morta Carlos Vanegas

There is no denying the heated contest for the Democratic candidates in the United States to choose

their candidate to represent you in the upcoming presidential elections in December.

Precisely, one Barack Obama, who seems to be the winner you must be well integrated with most of the Latin American reality, something that has been neglected and left a lot to say about American foreign policy. For those of us in the Latin American continent is very significant to know what the proposed actions that candidate Obama has proposed on Latin America as a continent that is generating new changes, demanding a rebirth that is favorable to their development, growth, be less dependent on advanced countries, especially the United States to transform their potential, wealth, that it has.

In regard to this concern, there is an article written by Andres Oppenheimer, the newspaper La Nacion of Buenos Aires, where he states that he likes Obama's proposals to appoint a special envoy for the region and to conduct annual summits, because these are measures that would force the region to pay attention to a new president without a personal history of interest in Latin America. And also its position on immigration, especially the fact that you understand that it is not just an issue of border walls, but also regional development: the Latin America did not do better, people will migrate north. Above all, it's good news that Obama has done his homework on Latin America. Now the challenge will be to keep him interested in the region.

Andres Oppenheimer points out, the likely Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, who has never traveled to Latin America, did his homework. When I first interviewed on U.S. relations with Latin America last year, Obama failed to mention the name of a Latin American head of state and looked at me puzzled when I asked about the most important news of that time in the region

But when I went to interview him last week in Miami, shortly before his first speech devoted to Latin America, Obama spoke with ease on regional issues and even mentioned by name two presidents. Obama knows he has to win over Hispanics, who voted overwhelmingly for Hillary Clinton in the primaries, and has begun to pay attention to the continent. In the interview, Obama said the government of George W. Bush has been "negligent" with respect to the region and called for "a new alliance of the Americas." When I asked for specifics on what would, he said, among other things:

"We should appoint a special envoy to the region to work actively with all their leaders and with direct access to me," he said. That charge was under President Bill Clinton, but was suppressed by Bush.



"We should make an annual summit with all leaders to discuss our common goals and interests," he said. Today, the Summit of the Americas is held every three or four years.



He said he would create the Energy Alliance of the Americas, to learn from the experience of Brazil in ethanol production and explore the opportunities of nuclear energy production to Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and Chile.



He said that would substantially increase foreign aid to Latin America. "It's very important that we focus not only on trade but also in the help," he said. "The fact that our total aid to Latin America this year equals one week of what we spend in Iraq gives a clear idea of ​​what our priorities."



He said that would focus on achieving "comprehensive immigration reform" that includes secure borders, a path to legalization for millions of undocumented workers and efforts to promote economic development in Mexico and Central America.

Oppenheimer was new to the idea of ​​creating "a new alliance of the Americas." All recent U.S. presidents have launched initiatives equally ambitious continental names, barely had an impact

Of course Obama's win must evaluate their role, alliance with Latin American countries, which now undergo changes that are intended to unify Latin America, committed to being a united front capable of generating all the changes that will ensure development, defeat poverty, misery, exploitation

They have started to consolidate their joints with constant Summit, partnerships, commitments, creation of Alba, Bank of the South American Union so that it will return results that detached from the domination of foreign powers and known as the Bolivarian Revolution, free not dependent on the American empire.

Fidel Castro just before the Obama's chances of success and according to the speech just made in Miami where there are thousands of Cuban refugees, urges him to take into account for example, to cooperate with other countries, the United States can send only professionals linked to military discipline. You can not do otherwise, because it lacks sufficient number of personnel willing to sacrifice for others and provide significant support to a country in difficulty, although in Cuba have known and have cooperated with us excellent U.S. doctors. They are not to blame because society does not educate them massively in that spirit. The cooperation of our country we have never subordinated to ideological requirements. We offered the United States when Katrina lashed the city of New Orleans. Our internationalist medical brigade bears the glorious name of Henry Reeve, a young man born in this country who fought and died for Cuba's sovereignty in the first war for our independence.

Hopefully see that Obama specifically proposes to Latin America.