U.S. diplomacy stumbles in Latin America

[Judi Lynn]

Source: L. A. Times

U.S. diplomacy stumbles in Latin America
The Obama presidency was expected to herald closer ties after years of perceived neglect under Bush. But relations have soured amid the Honduran coup and Iran's increasing ties in the region.

By Paul Richter
January 3, 2010

Reporting from Washington - Just eight months ago, President Obama was calling Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva "my man" and suggesting that the South American country could become a leading U.S. partner in the region.
Since then, Brazil has criticized the U.S. approach to the coup in Honduras and warned the United States over plans to expand its military presence in Colombia.

U.S. officials, for their part, have complained about Lula's increasing efforts to form economic and political ties with a leading American adversary, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. "Stop punishing him," Lula shot back a few months ago.

The differences with Brazil underscore how the Obama administration's Latin American relations have become marred by tensions and suspicions.

Polls indicate that Obama remains highly popular with Latin Americans, but his administration's relationship with some regional governments has been tested by a series of developments. Those include the June 28 military coup that toppled Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, a deal with Colombia giving the Pentagon use of seven bases for flights to combat drug trafficking and insurgency, stalled free trade deals, and Iran's growing ties with Brazil, Venezuela and Bolivia, among other Latin American countries.

Read more: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/la-fg-obama-latin3-2010jan03,0,5023391.story

[Goldstein1984]

1. The oppression of dissent continues in Honduras

Great source of news for Latin America: http://upsidedownworld.org/main/

[Deuce]

2. Thanks for the link...nt

[Peace Patriot]

3. We should have known when Obama picked Clinton for Secretary of State.

"Peter DeShazo, a former State Department official now at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said many of the core U.S. goals would be unchanged -- increasing security cooperation, trying to reform governments, fighting poverty and developing economies.

"'There will be greater continuity than a lot of people expected,' he said. 'Those who expected a sea change were misleading themselves.'" --from the OP

-------------------

This arrogant, lying crap really makes me sick. Expect more war, more death squad terrorism, more toppling of democratic governments and more fucking over of the poor.

And we were fools to expect otherwise.

[fasttense]

4. Yeah picking Hillary for secretary of state is like picking

Summers, Geithner and Berniac...oh wait...never mind.

[vadawg]

5. i guess he should have picked one of you guys, you could work part time at state

and keep working part time for the venezualan government as well, or it at least seems that way... Its weird why any post about chavez etc and you guys are all over it, no matter what time of day the post goes up...

[tiny elvis]

6. how could you know that

unless you were working for state to monitor latam posts?

[vadawg]

11. dude i wish i was being paid directly to monitor the web :)

im actually jealous of these guys sho get paid to jump on any anti chavez posts so my attacks on them are just born from that jealosy...

[dipsydoodle]

9. It's also like

picking your nose - she's just another nasty habit.

[malaise]

10. name one non-hawk US President in the last

70 years. I never expected US foreign policy to change beyond form. It has only become more aggressive during my lifetime.
Empires are overthrown - they never reform.

[bemildred]

7. Happy talk and bullshit will only take you so far. nt

[dipsydoodle]

8. Marked

incase I lose it again - thought I'd dreamt you'd posted it. :)

:hi: and Happy New Year.