How Can We Take Advantage of President Obama’s Visit?

Chile constitutes an example that would be appropriate to contrast with the United States. This favors us.

Our country is seen as a success story, where values of freedom and human rights combine with political abilities and skills to achieve growth and social inclusion. The heroic achievement of the miners also has projected the image of a people concerned with its weakest that also has the technical capabilities to rescue them.

It is a democracy without presidential reelection, or that is, with less risk of excessive duration in power or the use of power to remain there, which is a hot issue due to the experiences in the Middle East and some Latin American excesses. Having elected a woman president, who now plays a principal role in women’s issues at the United Nations, is another manifestation of democratic expansion.

If we add that the economy has been well-managed and that social policy has been a top priority, achieving a substantial decrease in poverty and forming a social safety net, one understands why a visit to Chile is of interest to the United States’ foreign policy.

This is an advantage for Chile.

There is also another benefit. President Obama will speak from Chile to the rest of the Latin American nations from the setting of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. Chile can play a more active role in the spread of effective policies and the forecasting of future strategies for the development of Latin America.

But we Chileans can chalk up more points. What?

We need the support of the United States less than ever. Today the U.S. has neither the resources nor the influence of yesteryear. Thus, we should forge a more balanced relationship, where our interests and those of Latin America are better taken into account.

In effect, the U.S.’ relative power has diminished. It cannot resolve global problems without allies, and neither do we expect that it help us resolve our problems. Its power is overextended with a fiscal deficit, wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, sensitive conflicts in the Middle East and a high level of concern with China’s expansion of power.

Today the United States needs a democratic and growing Latin America; it needs allies for various global issues and more markets for its trade. For these reasons, Obama comes with his secretaries of Commerce, Treasury and Energy.

Now what?

In the new world that is unfolding at high speed, we must adapt to the global challenges that Latin America and the United States should tackle together.

Our future issues are not different from those pointed out by President Obama to his country in his “State of the Union” address of January 2011 (equivalent to our 21st of May message). They are: strengthening of education, science and technology; development of new energy sources; climate change; infrastructure; increasing productivity; and combating poverty and inequality. In the policy area, they are: strengthening institutions and reforming global agencies, and opening up emerging nations. On these issues we should form new collaborations.

For Chile there are some other specific issues: clean energy, post-graduate education and English-language learning — and, in order to reinforce our role in the Southern Pacific, searching for a closer collaboration with the United States, such as what we are doing with the rest of the Latin American members of APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation).

What is fundamental is taking the initiative and exploring new forms of cooperation.

This requires a change of focus, not paternalism, between Latin America and the United States.

This is a good occasion to draw out a path that better responds to the new world challenges.