Clinton Would Work to Restore US Credibility in the Region

By Lee Feinstein
Published in the Dialogue’s Latin America Advisor, May 29, 2008

Senator Clinton believes the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean deserve the US' respect and attention. We are critical partners on everything from economic growth to our national security, but for the past seven years, President Bush's policy has been one of neglect and broken promises. He has recently begun to talk about social justice, but his administration's focus has almost exclusively been on trade, drugs, and Cuba. As a result, our credibility and leadership in Latin America are at all-time lows. Senator Clinton will bring fresh, solutions-oriented leadership to work with our neighbors to protect democratic values, fight growing social inequality, and grow our economies. She knows that it is the time for actions that rebuild our common bonds and shared interests, and she will bring that conviction to the White House.

As president, Senator Clinton will have four priorities for restoring our ties with the Hemisphere.  First, she has pledged to work closely with our partners in the region to encourage effective democratic governance, the rule of law, and personal safety. The people of Latin America are striving to build governments that deliver on the promise of democracy to improve the lives of their citizens. Senator Clinton will promote transparency, independent judicial systems, and anti-corruption measures, which are the best ways to counter democracy's real opponents, which in Latin America are manifested in populism and demagoguery.

Second, Senator Clinton is committed to helping address the growing inequality within the nations of the Americas by supporting the United Nations' goal of reducing extreme poverty by 50 percent by 2015. Reaching that goal will require innovative approaches, like the bill sponsored by Senator Bob Menendez and Congressman Elliot Engel to create a Social Investment and Economic Development Fund for the Americas, which will increase our overall support to Latin America, with a focus on expanding access to quality education. The Millennium Challenge Corporation will require reform so that impoverished regions within middle-income countries are eligible for US assistance, and the US will support programs that empower families to build their own futures—like Brazil's Bolsa Familia and Mexico's Oportunidades programs, which provide cash to poor families that keep their kids in school and get regular health check-ups.

Third, Senator Clinton will work with our neighbors to address the shared challenges of climate change and energy security. The Western Hemisphere provides almost 50 percent of US energy imports, and there is potential for much deeper cooperation that will benefit all our nations from Canada to Chile on integrating markets and finding new sources of energy, both traditional and non-traditional, including the next generation of biofuels technology.

Fourth, she will work to enact comprehensive immigration reform that respects the rule of law, our immigrant heritage, and our values. As a senator from New York, she knows how much immigrants contribute to our country, and she is convinced it makes no sense to deport everyone who is here illegally. We have to fix our broken system with a practical, humane, and realistic approach, while securing our borders—which is an interest that all countries in the region share. Her administration will work with the countries of Latin America to combat organized crime, gangs, and drug cartels, and support efforts to build effective and accountable judicial and law enforcement systems that guarantee the rights of persons, especially in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.

Senator Clinton strongly believes that our relationship with Latin America is crucial to the future of the United States. As president, she will work hard to restore the US credibility and to deliver concrete results for the people of Latin America.