U.S. Latin American Policy

Posts Tagged ‘U.S. Latin American policy’

What About Latinos in Other Parts of the Americas : UN Calls for End of Cuban Embargo, Again

12:20 pm By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Cuba · No Comments

30 Oct 2009

cuba There’s has been a ton of attention on Latinos in (The United States of) America, with little acknowledgment that the Americas go beyond the borders of the U.S. and that current U.S. policy towards Latin America isn’t any better than internal policy. Just the other day the United Nations’ General Assembly voted 187-3, coming down on the U.S.’s continued embargo on Cuba. This is the 18th consecutive U.N. vote of its kind.

Continuing the weird

10:18 pm By la Macha · Bolivia| Latin America| Politics · Comments Off

1 Jul 2009

01_evo Remember how I’ve been talking about my confusion over what role the U.S. is playing in the Honduran coup?

Well, this latest from Bolivia just makes me more confused.

President Evo Morales on Wednesday accused Barack Obama of lying by pledging to change America’s historically heavy-handed relationship with Latin America and then halting $25 million in annual trade benefits for Bolivia.

The U.S. on Tuesday said it is ending the import duty waivers because world’s No. 3 cocaine-producing country is not doing enough to reduce “unconstrained” cultivation of coca.

Morales said the move contradicts Obama’s promise at the Summit of the Americas in April to be a peer rather than an overseer of countries in the region. “President Obama lied to Latin America when he told us in Trinidad and Tobago that there are not senior and junior partners,” he told reporters.

I think that Morales’s words (peer and overseer), really exemplifies what I’ve been struggling with in relation to Honduras. The U.S. has acted as the “overseer” of Latin America very aggressively since the 70’s–but really, even longer than that: since the time of colonization really.

So did the U.S. *really* just give up its overseer position in Honduras? Even as it continues with the whip in Bolivia?

U.S. Not Sorry for Role in 1973 Chile Coup

1 Jul 2009

aleqm5j-ehjhewkth0fxha2om7xpoznxpq This story is from a few days ago, but given the current situation in Honduras, I thought it was relevant.

U.S. President Obama met with Chilean President Michelle Bachelet and was asked about the U.S.’s role in the 1973 coup that ousted democratically elected Salvador Allende and led to 17 years of military dictatorship.

Obama was asked about CIA involvement in Latin America such as the coup that brought Augusto Pinochet into power. Despite admitting that errors have been made in the past, Obama emphasized the need to move ahead in U.S.-Latin America relations:

“I’m interested in going forward, not looking backward,” said Obama, who has pledged to reinvigorate ties with Latin America, after what his advisors believe was neglect during the previous Bush administration.

“I think that the United States has been an enormous force for good in the world. I think there have been times where we’ve made mistakes,” Obama said in the Oval Office.

“But I think that what is important is looking at what our policies are today, and what my administration intends to do in cooperating with the region.

Evo ’s U.S. Trip Skips the White House

1:21 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Bolivia| Politics · Comments Off

14 Sep 2006

Bolivian president Evo Morales started a three country tour earlier this week. One stop on his tour includes the United Nations in New Yok City. Absent from the tour is a stop at the White House. It’s not that Evo doesn’t want to pay a visit to U.S. President Bush, it’s that he wasn’t invited. Had he been invited Evo said he would:

…tell President Bush “some truths about human rights, (and) about social and economic problems.”

If I were Evo I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for that invite from President Bush.

Via / The Latin Americanist

U.S. Says to Venezuela : No Arms for You

8:36 am By Maegan La Mala · Politics| Venezuela · 1 Comment

16 May 2006

While President Bush practiced how to say border security for his speech last night, the U.S. State Department imposed military sanctions against Venezuela citing concerns over Caracas’ ties with Iran and Cuba, considered state sponsors of terrorism. The sanctions include a ban in arm sales and technology transfers to Venezuela. Eric Watnik, a spokesman for the State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs said:

We are certifying to Congress that Venezuela is not fully cooperating with US anti-terrorism efforts.

VivirLatino