The Hispanic world celebrates the victory of Barack Obama in the Democratic primary elections of the United States considering him a symbol of change, both in the attitude of the people as well as the politics that he promotes, and also a promise of better relations with the continent.
But these comments were tempered by a current of skepticism of those who doubt that the candidate can-– or that they will let him-–implement these changes.
In the Mexican capital, the 35-year-old painter Susana Mendoza’s eyes sparkled when she found out that Obama had secured the Democratic presidential candidacy.
“There has always been so much discrimination in the United States that I think would be positive that the new president be of color,” she commented. “George W. Bush was for the hierarchy. Obama is for the people.”
Furthermore, she considered that a black president would be more sensitive to the situation of Hispanics in the United States, including her sister, an illegal immigrant who works for a construction company in Chicago. “Americans are treated very well in Mexico, but Mexicans are not treated well in the United States,” she argued.
In Spain, the Spanish Socialists’ Workers Party, PSOE, congratulated Obama on Wednesday and expressed its confidence that his victory “would be the prelude of change in the political direction of a country that is our friend and ally.”
Through an informer, the direction of PSOE, that withdrew Spanish troops from Iraq in 2004 when it came to power and criticized the international politics of Bush, underlined the “force of change” that Obama represents and the new air that he could bring to Washington.
“The potential Democratic candidate during his course towards the nomination has championed the defense of social politics, solidarity, equality and international relations based on dialogue and multilateralism; values that we Spanish socialists completely share,” said PSOE.
In Caracas, for business man Orlando Santana, 54-years-old, the United States needs a change. “I believe that Obama can bring forward new politics that will break with the errors that Bush committed, such as the war in Iraq.”
“It would be interesting to see how relations between Venezuela and the United States would play out if Obama were to win in November,” he added. “At best, they would improve, but this will also depend on president Hugo Chavez.”
His compatriot Maribel Vargas, a 33-year-old secretary, stated that “if Obama makes it to the White House it is possible that the relations between Washington and Latin America will get better.”
“We feel that the Bush government didn’t pay a lot of attention to Latin America and the truth is that we are neighbors that must cooperate.”
In Havana, the Cuban Jorge Serguera, a retired seventy-year-old who said that he closely followed the United States campaign, hope to see the Barack Obama-Hillary Clinton presidential ballot.
“They are two extraordinary candidates and have faced many challenges, he for the color of his skin and she as a woman,” he commented. “I think that the American society is prepared to have both.”
He considered that Obama “is a man of moral thinking and of ideas” and added that “the departure of Bush after eight years represents a little rest for Cuba.”
In the Brazilian city of Sao Paolo, in a monthly dinner that draws musicians, artists, academics and others to the restaurant Soteropolitano in the Bohemian neighborhood Vila Madalena, the congregated supported the candidacy of Obama, but few are confident that he would radically change the United States foreign policy.
Obama “is more important from the symbolic point of view than effective to promote deep changes,” stated Leandro Moura, a translator of 37 years that considered Clinton’s health care plan as better and the Democratic winner’s economic ideas as not being very progressive.
“But of course, it will be a refreshing breeze and I am with him,” he added. “The current foreign policy of the United States is of such extreme right that even a slight moderation will be welcome.”
Mario Cavallo, a 31-year-old pianist, does believe that there will be changes regardless of who wins the presidency in November.
“They will continue supporting the war in Iraq,” he said of the future president of the United States, whether it be Obama or the Republican John McCain. “It is positive that a young, black man can maintain himself and eventually win the presidency. But it is improbable that the motto of his campaign, change, will be in any way fundamental.”
In Bolivia, where the voters in 2005 elected Evo Morales as the first indigenous president, some highlight the difficulties that Obama could face in overcoming barriers.
Carlos Taborga, 76-years-old, who drank guiski with a group of seventy-year-olds, said, “in this month, we are very much supporters of Clinton. Why? Because I personally still have racist roots. But in a very small quantity, of course.”
“Then, certainly this little root of racism that I have, in the United States is much greater, it is huge,” he added. “Hillary or Obama, whoever it is, is only going to lose to McCain.” He said that maybe “Hillary could win,” but “still the North American society is not in favor of black presidents.”
Miguel Rojas, 47, who changes currency, didn’t know Obama’s name even though he new that a black man was a candidate for the United States presidency.
“The black man has good intentions, of course, but they are not going to let him govern,” he pronounced. “That is the problem. Just like here, they don’t let him. As a result, there is failure.”
NOTE OF THE DAY
Hillary said yesterday that she has not yet made a decision on the future of her campaign.
Barack Obama is the Democratic candidate
Senator Barack Obama made history yesterday in achieving the sufficient amount of delegates to make himself the Democratic presidential candidate and to be the first black aspirant for the White House of one of the two principle parties, although his rival Hillary Clinton has not yet conceded any defeat.
According to the projections of the news channels, Obama, who based his campaign on “change,” reached the 2,118 delegates that he needed to present himself to the elections on November 4th, thanks to those that he obtained in the last primaries conducted in South Dakota and Montana, and the support that he received during the day from the super delegates, who have the liberty of voting for whoever they want.
SPEECH
In the speech before the press, the Illinois senator, 46-years-old, who aspires to be the first black president of the United States, proclaimed himself candidate. “I find myself before you and I tell you that I will be the Democratic candidate for the Presidency of the United States,” he said.
The speech was made before they knew the South Dakota and Montana results, which put an end to one of the most prolonged primary battles in the Democratic ranks, which began January 3rd and that left the party deeply divided.
In South Dakota, Hillary Clinton defeated Obama, while the Illinois senator came away with a triumph in Montana.
TRANSCENDENTAL
More than two dozen super delegates, the elected politicians and heads of parties-–who have the liberty to vote for whoever they want and to change their vote up until the last minute, and who represent forty percent of the convention votes, brought the determining support to Obama during the day.
Senator Hillary Clinton announced last night that she would not make an immediate decision concerning the future of her campaign for the White House, after her rival Barack Obama reached the necessary quantity of delegates to be the candidate of the Democratic party. “Now the question is ‘where do we go from here?’ And given how far we have come and where we need to go as a party, we do not take this question lightly.”
In detail
RIVAL
Republican John McCain criticized Barack Obama yesterday, stating that the candidate represents “bad change” for the United States.
PROJECTIONS
According to a Gallup poll published yesterday in USA Today, Obama is slightly ahead of McCain in voting intentions for the presidency.
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