US ties with Latin America
Can Hillary Clinton convince the region that the US is committed to an equal partnership?
As Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, continues her visit to Latin America, she is facing growing disappointment over what many think is the Obama administration’s inability to deal with critical issues in the region.
Last year at the Summit of the Americas, Barack Obama, the US president, promised a new era of partnership with Latin American nations.
He said it was time for the US to move forward and respect democratically-elected governments even if Washington disagreed with them.
But after raising expectations, the US had very little to show in terms of its engagement there.
The White House was criticised after it backed an election in Honduras organised by coup leaders who ousted Manuel Zelaya, the Honduran president.
Also its stand on trade, climate change, the pace of diplomatic engagement with communist Cuba, and the deal with Colombia to establish several military bases in that country have led many observers to say that Obama’s Latin America policy is not that different from George Bush’s.
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On Wednesday we ask: Has Obama failed Latin America and can Hillary Clinton convince the region that the US is committed to an equal partnership?
Riz will be talking to Michael Shifter, the director of the Andean Programme at the Inter-American dialogue. It is a Washington DC based non-profit organisation for policy analysis on issues related to the Western Hemisphere.
This episode of the Riz Khan show aired on Wednesday, March 3, 2010.