Latin hope for change
Adelina Marini, April 18, 2009
The hope for change becomes much clearer during the summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago where president Barack Obama renewed its call top Cuba for dialogue. He also gave a signal for serious change in policy toward Cuba, confirmed from his secretary of state Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton. BBC reports another very interesting point from the summit - the very critical to the former US president George Bush Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez has demonstrated very warm relation toward Barack Obama. According to the released press photos from the summit it becomes clear that the warm relation is mutual which is a very serious signal for radical change in tone.
Last year the confrontation of Chavez and his associate leaders from the region reached its peak when Chavez negotiated an agreement with Russia and they even carried out military exercises at the doorstep of the US. They also agreed a weapons deal and a loan for Venezuela which oil industry needs very serious investments. Although George W. Bush had always underestimated the extravagancy of the Venezuelan leader, the danger he poses is not worth neglecting. Now we need to find out how exactly would the new policy toward Latin America and the Caribbean will change which, actually is part of the bigger intrigue - the changes in other regions for which green light has also been given - Iran, Middle East and Russia. And let's not forget Europe.