How Well is Obama Handling Latin American Issues?

By Peter Hakim
September 16, 2009

Originally published in the Dialogue's daily Latin America Advisor newsletter

Q: While US President Barack Obama is immersed at home in an extensive debate over health care reform, Latin American issues have not completely faded from his administration's agenda, as was evident in the Sept. 3 meeting between Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and deposed Honduran President Manuel Zelaya. How well has Obama handled Latin America and the Caribbean in the first 200 days of his administration? What specific issue(s) should Obama give highest priority to in Latin America? Will the perception that foreign (Iraq, Afghanistan) and domestic (economy, terrorism) concerns take time away from Latin American issues prevail in the Obama administration, as it did during former President George W. Bush's terms in office?

A: Peter Hakim, member of the Advisor board and president of the Inter-American Dialogue in Washington: "The Obama administration is on the right track in Latin America. With the notable exception of trade matters, the administration's policy statements and decisions have mostly been welcomed in Latin America, and the president himself is well regarded by the region's leaders and ordinary citizens. He has also made progress in pursuing more multilateral approaches and better aligning US and Latin American agendas. But recently, the administration has run into a series of headwinds in both Washington and the region. Although it was approved with US agreement and was consistent with Washington's announced Cuba policy, the OAS resolution setting a path for Cuba's return to the organization clearly made the administration uneasy. The calibrated US approach to the Honduran crisis, pursued cooperatively with the other governments of the hemisphere, has been criticized by many; some think it is unwise and misdirected, others that it is too timid. The wide disapproval in South America of the US base-utilization agreement with Colombia illustrates the continuing, almost reflexive, suspicion of the US in Latin America. Moreover, the polarized politics of Washington is making it difficult for the administration to assemble its Latin American team, and will place major obstacles in the way of reforming immigration and anti-drug policies, as well as new trade initiatives. Latin America's political divisions are also disrupting the US agenda in the region. None of this, however, is reason for the Obama administration to abandon its current course. It can produce results, although not quickly or easily."

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