Obama: A Change in Direction?

Many of us have the feeling that with Obama there is hope that things will change for the better in the world in which we live.

What will be the implication of Obama’s initiation into the politics of his country towards Latin America? In such a conflictive scenario, few topics linked to the region are of compelling interest to Washington.

One of them is drug trafficking. Combating it is state policy. Northern South America, Colombia, in particular, is a key strategy. Its position will not change, but requirements for the renewal of the ATPDEA could be relaxed. Ecuador has an excellent record in this area and has done so out of conviction, not out of obligation.

Another is “terrorism,” where there are undoubtedly conceptual divergences. For Latin America, counter-cultural movements, notably in Colombia, are not considered terroristic, which does not mean that they are tolerated. In spite of this difference of opinion, Washington can count on support from the continent within the principles of international law.

Migration is a most sensitive topic, one that touches many countries in the region; the most important being Mexico, its neighbor. Here Obama has an opportunity to become closer to Latin-America by leveling the situation of millions of illegal workers in the U.S. Where will this lead?

How will he deal with Brazil, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador and with the more or less radical left-leaning winds that blow in the region? Although it is not possible to generalize, as each has its own characteristics, there will not be immediate substantive change despite the fact that if he upholds the offer to extend his hand to adversaries expecting that they will open their fists, there could be surprises.

Cuba is a symbolic case. There will be no dramatic changes right away. Travel to the island will be eased as well as remittances, but for now, nothing will be done to lift the embargo, let alone to normalize relations. But I have the impression that both countries, within a moderate time, will want to do it. The world has changed, and Raul Castro and Obama know this.

In any case, Latin America should not limit itself to speculating on what Obama can do about the region, but what we can do in a proactive manner, from Latin America, is put our interests forward given this new opportunity with a president far from the beliefs of his predecessor.

In other words, we need to take the initiative and not wait for the agenda to be designed by the U.S. We need to honestly state our concerns and be willing to collaborate.

Many of us have the impression with Obama that there is hope things will change for the better in the convoluted world in which we live. Let’s not fail to be concrete proposals for ourselves and our interests to improve relations with the U.S.