Diplomatic Courier's Blog

- By Oscar Montealegre

The Sixth Summit of the Americas has ended. Who won? Without a doubt the United States, Colombia, and the Central American states can look back at the Summit with satisfaction.

I’ve noticed that U.S. mainstream media is assessing the summit negatively, as another step forward by Latin America in decoupling from the U.S. What I observed was different. President Obama, sitting next to President Rouseff and President Santos, admitted that the U.S. was excited about the summit, viewing it as a forum to further strengthen ties with the Latin America region. In addition, President Obama confirmed that the Free Trade Agreement between the United States and Colombia will enter full force by May 15, a great achievement by both countries. The CEO Summit of the Americas, where many U.S. companies participated, was considered a success and opened doors for many U.S. enterprises to expand their markets in the Latin American and Caribbean regions. U.S. companies are becoming more engaged in Latin America’s expansion, and it is a good thing for the U.S., precisely the objectives we should be accomplishing.

Latin America has a tendency to never let go of the past, creating an unnecessary hindrance. President Obama expanded on this notion by declaring that it will be difficult for Latin America and the U.S. to find common ground if certain Latin American countries resort to expressing grievances that occurred before he was born. In my opinion, he is absolutely right. It would behoove Latin American leaders to pay attention to his advice. In order to move forward one has to forgive and forget, rather than using the past as a baton to move forward. The U.S. is a prime example of forgiving and forgetting by the new policy with Vietnam, engaging in the spirit of healing wounds and increasing trade and commerce.

Colombians hosted a well-organized summit, exhibiting to the world how the country has progressed. The hospitality shown to us journalists was simply amazing, underscoring what exactly it means to be welcomed. Also, Santos – whether intentional or not – further solidified his role of being the region’s new diplomatic leader: handling the ALBA protest with diplomacy and tact, and providing a platform for dialogue for all the Summit participants. OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza echoed the sentiment, congratulating President Santos for giving the agenda a positive and constructive tone.

Subjects, once considered taboo, such as Cuba and legalization of drugs were discussed. In his final speech to the press, President Santos coined the Summit, “The summit of dialogue and sincerity,” and added that “ending the long silences against specific issues will bring long term benefits and enhances the interests of the region. Respect and tolerance for differences indicate that we are a mature region with great potential for ambitious projects like we left in the mandates.”

Regarding the topic of drug legalization, President Santos claimed that legalizing drugs was never the main topic, and was portrayed incorrectly by the media. The most important outcome was a mandate that will be sent to the Organization of American States (OAS) to initiate an investigation determining if the current policies are functioning properly, or if other alternatives exist that are less expensive and more effective. I find this very interesting, definitely unconventional and a break from the status quo. Central American nations got what they wanted – open minds towards the war on drugs, and hopefully, more monetary assistance and new direction.

So who are the losers? Nobody really lost. The movement of integration and partnership was evident, thus, no country left with egg on their face. Politics aside, Latin America and the Caribbean appear motivated to integrate and increase trade and commerce amongst each other, similar to the origin of the European Union. Having said that, by no means am I insinuating that Latin America and the Caribbean are moving towards a supranational body like the EU. If that is not the case it then raises the question: what is next for Latin America?

Bolivian President Morales and Colombian President Santos talk at the Summit of the Americas.

Bolivia’s President Evo Morales continues to turn up the volume on his unconditional support for Cuba’s inclusion in the next Summit of the Americas. The mini-drama (acted out by few members of ALBA) began Friday afternoon. A Venezuelan government press official told a Venezuelan journalist (and a friend of mine) from La Verdad newspaper that Chavez would not attend the Summit because of the leaders’ decision to not draft a document promising Cuba’s participation at the next Summit in Panama City, Panama. On Saturday morning, an official press release from Venezuela stated that Chavez would regrettably not attend because of health reasons.

On Saturday night, Evo Morales raised the stakes by declaring that there will be no future summit if Cuba is not included. Essentially, the Summit of the Americas will cease to exist.

The Summit so far has been a showcase of integration, cooperation, and partnership. It is no surprise that a member of ALBA resisted the path to constructive dialogue, opting to create tension and controversy. Of course, according to the Bolivian president, the U.S. is to blame. “Only one country – well, one and a half countries – are against Cuba.” Moments later during the press conference he said, “ There will no longer be future Summits of the Americas without Cuba’s participation…there will also be no Latin American integration coming out of this Summit because of the U.S. and their stance against Cuba.”

Colombia President Santos was less abrasive when discussing Cuba: “The isolation, the embargo, the indifference…has demonstrated its ineffectiveness.” President Santos argued the point that the international policies towards Cuba are anchored under the context of the Cold War that ended more than two decades ago. “It’s time to overcome the paralysis that carries ideological stubbornness and seek consensus as a minimum change that can proceed to a successful conclusion for the sake of the Cuban people.”

The issue of Argentina and her newfound quest to reclaim the Falkland Islands was discussed by the Bolivian president as well, making a bold claim that all South American countries support Argentina. That may be so behind the curtains, but not all countries have given a formal commitment supporting Argentina. Colombian media is reporting that Argentine President Kirchner de Fernandez was disappointed that President Santos did not mention the Falkland Island issue in his opening remarks. Internal issues need to be respected appropriately, but President Kirchner’s agenda in making the Falkland Islands a dominant issue during the Summit of the Americas reflects Argentina’s aloofness – or political savvy in trying to evade major issues that are stagnating Argentina’s future growth.

Reverting back to the Cuba issue, diplomacy, rather than hard demands, provides the most effective method for Cuba’s future inclusion. When many Latin America countries are vying for the U.S. to spend more of their attention, political capital, and investments southward instead of eastward, countries like Cuba, Argentina, and Venezuela display an excellent tendency to make the sell more difficult than what it needs to be.