Red Eft
04-21-2009, 12:41 AM
At the Summit of the Americas, President Obama pledged a fresh start in relations with Latin America. But German commentators doubt that promises and patting shoulders with Hugo Chavez will mend a long history of animosity and mistrust.
On Sunday, US President Barack Obama ended a four-day charm offensive in Mexico and at the Summit of the Americas held in Trinidad. While on the trip, he admitted to mistakes in US policy toward its southern neighbors and pledged to work toward a "new beginning."
In particular, Obama used remarks delivered at the end of the three-day meeting -- which discussed energy, security and other measures -- to underline his commitment to easing strained relations with Cuba. "The policy we've had in place for 50 years has not worked," Obama told reporters Sunday. "The Cuban people are not free."
Earlier in the week, Obama had lifted restrictions on Americans who want to visit or send money to relatives in Cuba as well as on US telecommunications companies wishing to do business there. However, his administration still says it has no plans to lift a ban on nearly all trade that has been in force since 1962, which Cuba's government blames for frequent shortages of medicine and other basic necessities.
Cuba responded by saying it was open to talks, including those on the formerly taboo issue of human rights. In his statements, Obama added that Cuba might also consider releasing political prisoners and reducing the fees taken out of money sent to Cubans from abroad.
Obama also surprised -- and angered -- many by meeting and shaking hands with Venezuela's leftist president, Hugo Chavez, who has been the loudest among several anti-American voices in the region and even likened former US President George W. Bush to the devil. Chavez also gave Obama a book about the history of foreign powers exploiting Latin America, and he told Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that he would restore Venezuela's ambassador to the US.
On a state visit to Mexico last week, Obama admitted that America's appetite for illegal drugs was partially to blame for the drug-related violence in that country and that the US was not doing enough to stop the flow of weapons and cash into Mexico.
German commentators generally applaud Obama's decisions and statements. But most of them also doubt that Obama's good intentions will do much to help mend America's troubled relations with its southern neighbors.
link (http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,620001,00.html)
Here is the German take on this issue.
On Sunday, US President Barack Obama ended a four-day charm offensive in Mexico and at the Summit of the Americas held in Trinidad. While on the trip, he admitted to mistakes in US policy toward its southern neighbors and pledged to work toward a "new beginning."
In particular, Obama used remarks delivered at the end of the three-day meeting -- which discussed energy, security and other measures -- to underline his commitment to easing strained relations with Cuba. "The policy we've had in place for 50 years has not worked," Obama told reporters Sunday. "The Cuban people are not free."
Earlier in the week, Obama had lifted restrictions on Americans who want to visit or send money to relatives in Cuba as well as on US telecommunications companies wishing to do business there. However, his administration still says it has no plans to lift a ban on nearly all trade that has been in force since 1962, which Cuba's government blames for frequent shortages of medicine and other basic necessities.
Cuba responded by saying it was open to talks, including those on the formerly taboo issue of human rights. In his statements, Obama added that Cuba might also consider releasing political prisoners and reducing the fees taken out of money sent to Cubans from abroad.
Obama also surprised -- and angered -- many by meeting and shaking hands with Venezuela's leftist president, Hugo Chavez, who has been the loudest among several anti-American voices in the region and even likened former US President George W. Bush to the devil. Chavez also gave Obama a book about the history of foreign powers exploiting Latin America, and he told Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that he would restore Venezuela's ambassador to the US.
On a state visit to Mexico last week, Obama admitted that America's appetite for illegal drugs was partially to blame for the drug-related violence in that country and that the US was not doing enough to stop the flow of weapons and cash into Mexico.
German commentators generally applaud Obama's decisions and statements. But most of them also doubt that Obama's good intentions will do much to help mend America's troubled relations with its southern neighbors.
link (http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,620001,00.html)
Here is the German take on this issue.