Obama and the Integration Effect

U.S. President Barack Obama returned to Central America. This time he went to Costa Rica. Two years ago, in March 2011, he came to El Salvador, a visit with immense symbolic value, and little more. While there were great promises — not just for El Salvador but for the region — of those outlined by the government of President Mauricio Funes, little has come to fruition, and we must realize that not all depended on the will of President Obama and much less that of Funes: neither immigration reform, nor the $200 million for the “Citizens Security Partnership in Central America.”

We must remember that Obama’s promises were not for El Salvador: They were for Central America as a region. In 2011, the Central American Integration System (SICA) did not exert such a presence as it has in recent days in Costa Rica. There was no photo containing all the presidents in the region: They were not present. Today it seems that they tried to correct the plan, but there are no guarantees that the protocol and group photos signify a united region as a partner to Obama or anyone else.

Central America has failed for several years to consolidate a credible integration, and it is ironic that the Organization of Central American States of 1951 came before and was in part a model for other regions, such as Europe, which now decides as a block when making treaties of great political and commercial scope.

Why, if world powers like the U.S. and EU are looking for a united Central America, does it not seem that the countries concerned are taking it as an urgent task? There exists a Central American Parliament. No one really understands how it works. There exists a Central American Court of Justice, recently ridiculed by political manipulation, and there exists a free trade agreement with the U.S. block.

Here comes Obama, convenes SICA and makes promises for the region, and it appears that those promises — from the fulfillment of which each country benefits — generate the effect of unity, common goals and shared strategies.

Obama leaves, and everything returns back to the way it was with neighbors who barely speak to each other. Do you feel Central American? How much do you know about the problems of neighboring countries? How much do you know about their culture and history? Do you want to know more? Do you feel your borders are safe? Could the states integrate without the [demonstrated] interest of their citizens?

I think that this last point is a pending task for SICA, but clearly, SICA is also a reflection of the decisions and priorities of each government. We are geographically small countries with populations that separately do not represent an especially attractive, but not negligible, market. Separated we are more vulnerable to economic crises and the rise of organized crime. Our democracies are also fragile, and there exists no effective mechanism of control that mutually strengthens them.

Integration is a fantasy that resurfaces from time to time, such as when an Obama appears promising benefits for the block. The “Central American Union” should be a reality; there exists a judicial framework that promotes solidarity, cooperation and integration for the sake of development.

It seems that some presidents decided to sign regional integration treaties without knowing the scope and magnitude that such commitments entail. If our leaders do not take concrete steps to unify the region, more than taking a pretty picture when the moment calls for it, it will be Central American society that must demand actual compliance with unification policies from its leaders.