Latin American Leaders and Obama Chillaxin' in Trinidad

Everything's more laid back in the Caribbean, mon! Which is probably a good thing. Would love to be there right now myself.

Obama really impressed Latin American leaders at the recent Summit of the Americas, held in the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. What caught my eye in particular was the title of a book that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (who once called George W. Bush "the devil"--ha!) gave to Obama. Titled "The Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent" by Eduardo Galeano, it was on my required reading list for a course I took for my master's degree!

Who knows if Obama will actually read it, but I would like to know what he thinks. Personally, I didn't care for it. Yes, I did learn a lot, but I thought the author was way too skewed toward an extreme socialist/communist viewpoint. It was difficult to figure out what was true and what was his opinion. Really no different than reading something from a more capitalist approach.

• But Chavez certainly seemed to have a crush on Obama, and they kept shaking hands. Easy fellas! Chavez said he was even going to restore Venezuela's ambassador to the U.S. ("my people will call your people!"). Aw, that's nice.

• Evo Morales of Bolivia wasn't having any of the love-in, however. Sounds like he needs to consult with those shamans who "endorsed" Obama during the election.

• Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega was polite but, apparently, still bitter over what former U.S. prez Ronald Reagan did to him.

• And Raul Castro is obviously feelin' the love from Obama, as the two have made tentative baby steps toward normalizing U.S./Cuban relations.
  

How can anyone stay angry in Trinidad, a place that obviously knows how to party!?

Latin American Leaders and Obama Chillaxin' in Trinidad

Everything's more laid back in the Caribbean, mon! Which is probably a good thing. Would love to be there right now myself.

Obama really impressed Latin American leaders at the recent Summit of the Americas, held in the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. What caught my eye in particular was the title of a book that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (who once called George W. Bush "the devil"--ha!) gave to Obama. Titled "The Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent" by Eduardo Galeano, it was on my required reading list for a course I took for my master's degree!

Who knows if Obama will actually read it, but I would like to know what he thinks. Personally, I didn't care for it. Yes, I did learn a lot, but I thought the author was way too skewed toward an extreme socialist/communist viewpoint. It was difficult to figure out what was true and what was his opinion. Really no different than reading something from a more capitalist approach.

• But Chavez certainly seemed to have a crush on Obama, and they kept shaking hands. Easy fellas! Chavez said he was even going to restore Venezuela's ambassador to the U.S. ("my people will call your people!"). Aw, that's nice.

• Evo Morales of Bolivia wasn't having any of the love-in, however. Sounds like he needs to consult with those shamans who "endorsed" Obama during the election.

• Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega was polite but, apparently, still bitter over what former U.S. prez Ronald Reagan did to him.

• And Raul Castro is obviously feelin' the love from Obama, as the two have made tentative baby steps toward normalizing U.S./Cuban relations.
  

How can anyone stay angry in Trinidad, a place that obviously knows how to party!?

Rumble in South America: What Is the U.S. Up to Now?

I'm tired of our presidential popularity contest. I'm much more interested in the craziness going on down in South America. We're talking expelled diplomats, violent protests, accusations of U.S. interference, martial law, strikes and arrests of government officials. And from this distance, it appears most of Bolivia's neighbors support president Evo Morales, much to the chagrin of the U.S.

Seems it's always about oil or gas, which is the case in Bolivia, the poorest country in South America. Morales is, to some, a crazy left-wing commie who pals around with equally crazy Hugo Chavez of Venezuela. The opposition claims Morales wants to turn Bolivia into---another Cuba! Maybe that's an insult, but when you're already the poorest country in the neighborhood, I'm sure everybody's grass is greener.

The nugget is Morales expelled our ambassador, claiming the U.S. has been supporting the opposition. Of course, we are shocked--shocked!--at such allegations. Maybe we're innocent, but there have been plenty of times in the past when we have "supported" movements without actually lifting a finger. Morales certainly has reason to be paranoid since us Yankees don't like anyone who tries to centralize gas and oil industries and, oh, empower the majority indigenous population that has been disenfranchised for centuries.

As further insult to our delicate sensibilities, Chavez kicked our ambassador out of his own country. He's been claiming for months that the U.S. was encouraging the protests in Bolivia. Now, add Ecuador and Honduras to the list of Morales supporters! Naturally, Cuba's joined the party, too.

Call me crazy, but I kinda like Morales and Chavez. They're standing up to our self-righteousness and arrogance. Other South American countries have rallied to end the violence, and Morales has started negotiations with the opposition. For way too long, the U.S. has run the show throughout this hemisphere, and I think our "good intentions" have created many of the struggles faced by that entire region today. Maybe there's nothing to the rumors, but it's clear South America doesn't trust us.

Lots of complicated issues involved, of course, and I will be interested to see how this plays out.

Here are a few interesting links:

• Take your Yankee toys and go home!
• They started it!
• Supporting the local boy
• Emergency summit in Chile
• Negotiations begin
  

Rumble in South America: What Is the U.S. Up to Now?

I'm tired of our presidential popularity contest. I'm much more interested in the craziness going on down in South America. We're talking expelled diplomats, violent protests, accusations of U.S. interference, martial law, strikes and arrests of government officials. And from this distance, it appears most of Bolivia's neighbors support president Evo Morales, much to the chagrin of the U.S.

Seems it's always about oil or gas, which is the case in Bolivia, the poorest country in South America. Morales is, to some, a crazy left-wing commie who pals around with equally crazy Hugo Chavez of Venezuela. The opposition claims Morales wants to turn Bolivia into---another Cuba! Maybe that's an insult, but when you're already the poorest country in the neighborhood, I'm sure everybody's grass is greener.

The nugget is Morales expelled our ambassador, claiming the U.S. has been supporting the opposition. Of course, we are shocked--shocked!--at such allegations. Maybe we're innocent, but there have been plenty of times in the past when we have "supported" movements without actually lifting a finger. Morales certainly has reason to be paranoid since us Yankees don't like anyone who tries to centralize gas and oil industries and, oh, empower the majority indigenous population that has been disenfranchised for centuries.

As further insult to our delicate sensibilities, Chavez kicked our ambassador out of his own country. He's been claiming for months that the U.S. was encouraging the protests in Bolivia. Now, add Ecuador and Honduras to the list of Morales supporters! Naturally, Cuba's joined the party, too.

Call me crazy, but I kinda like Morales and Chavez. They're standing up to our self-righteousness and arrogance. Other South American countries have rallied to end the violence, and Morales has started negotiations with the opposition. For way too long, the U.S. has run the show throughout this hemisphere, and I think our "good intentions" have created many of the struggles faced by that entire region today. Maybe there's nothing to the rumors, but it's clear South America doesn't trust us.

Lots of complicated issues involved, of course, and I will be interested to see how this plays out.

Here are a few interesting links:

• Take your Yankee toys and go home!
• They started it!
• Supporting the local boy
• Emergency summit in Chile
• Negotiations begin