President Obama's Latin Dance
Changes of regime in Egypt and Tunisia, violence in Libya (more on that in my next column), and unparalleled challenges to governments throughout the Middle East have rightly captured the attention of millions of Americans. At first glance, then, it might seem inconsequential to examine President Obama’s first trip to South and Central America later this month. Yet Americans should pay attention to this visit, for what it does and does not say about our relations with our neighbors to the south and America's foreign policy generally.
First, consider the timing of the trip. A favorite critique of many in the Hemisphere, as well as their friends in Washington, was that the Bush Administration "ignored" Latin America. However, during his first two years in office, President Bush had an extremely active Hemispheric trade agenda, visited Mexico twice, and in March 2002 met with heads of state from both the Andean and Central American countries during a visit to Peru and El Salvador. Now in his third year, President Obama finally will be visiting Central and South America. To be fair, Obama has already visited Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago, but as he journeys to the south, his first message to everyone he meets should be: "Sorry it took so long."
Second, let's look at the countries on his itinerary. Brazil is an obvious and smart choice given the size of its population and economy, as well as its growing stature in the world. Chile is in many ways the great economic and democratic success story of Latin America. El Salvador has made great strides since its terrible civil war. Most importantly, these three countries all have relatively moderate governments, which stand in contrast to Hugo Chavez and his populist allies.
Yet it would have been nice for the President to include on his itinerary our strongest ally and largest aid recipient in South America, Colombia. One can only hope that a substantive visit to Colombia will occur in the near future, ideally accompanied by a commitment to pass the languishing U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement. Such a move could help improve the Obama Administration's reputation for neglecting America's friends.
The most important stop on this trip will be Brazil. The world's eighth largest economy, Brazil is looking to flex its muscle on the global stage. It wants to be considered a major player in the world, and feels it deserves a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. President Obama should offer conditional support for these aspirations, provided that Brazil first demonstrate responsible leadership in its neighborhood and beyond. Brazil, particularly under its new president, can be a voice of reason in contrast with the Chavezes and Moraleses of the region -- and it must be more vocal in doing so. Brazil should be more helpful on non-proliferation issues, particularly when it comes to Iran, which former President Lula shamefully had defended. Furthermore, while good people can disagree about the wisdom of a no-fly-zone or other military involvement in Libya, stronger Brazilian condemnation of the violence unleashed by Qadhafi’s forces would be welcome. Deepening U.S.-Brazil ties is worthwhile, but must be consistent with American national interests and values.
On his trip, President Obama should make clear that his new-found support for democracy is no less relevant in Latin America than it is in the Middle East. Hemispheric commitments to democracy made at the Organization of American States have been enforced unevenly at best, with left-leaning despots facing little rebuke from their ideological sympathizers, while Honduras continues to be isolated in spite of free elections. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with center-left and center-right leaders in each of these three countries -- two of which recently experienced peaceful transfers of power -- President Obama should send the message that it's more important how your government comes to power than what kind of social safety net it proposes. An attack on democracy in Latin America will be taken seriously whether it comes from the right or the left. Moreover, democracy is about more than just election day. Manipulating the rules and suppressing dissent will only delay the day of reckoning, as we've seen in Egypt and elsewhere.
While he's at it, it would be nice to see President Obama stand up for imprisoned dissidents in Cuba or brave opponents of Chavez in Venezuela.
Another apparently new interest of President Obama is international trade. The countries of the Western Hemisphere, including Canada, account for 42 percent of U.S. exports. In other words, what happens in this part of the world makes a big difference for American jobs. The White House says that on this trip, President Obama intends to pursue "economic prosperity and job creation through increased trade and partnerships..." Foremost in this vein will be his efforts to persuade Brazil to purchase 36 Boeing fighter jets. Let's hope our salesman-in-chief makes a better pitch in Brasilia than he did in Copenhagen for the Olympics. If he’s really serious about jobs, the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement would boost our exports by another $1.1 billion, but will require President Obama to stand up to organized labor interests in the U.S. who have outdated concerns about the situation for labor in Colombia.
Finally, President Obama should address security concerns in the Western Hemisphere. Venezuelan cooperation with Iran needs to be taken more seriously in Washington and around the region. Hezbollah is reportedly raising money in Venezuela and the tri-border region of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. Central American gangs undermine security at home and abroad. President Obama should emphasize that we all have a stake in these security issues.
Even as political shockwaves rock the Middle East, there are plenty of reasons for President Obama to travel south. Much more is at stake than a photo-op with the Chilean miners.
