PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad -- President Obama offered a spirit of cooperation to America's hemispheric neighbors at a summit Saturday, listening to complaints about past U.S. meddling and even reaching out to Venezuela's leftist leader.
While he worked to ease friction between the United States and their countries, Obama cautioned leaders at the Summit of the Americas to resist a temptation to blame all of their problems on their neighbor to the north.
"I have a lot to learn, and I very much look forward to listening and figuring out how we can work together more effectively," Obama said.
Obama said he was ready to accept Cuban President Raul Castro's proposal of talks on issues once off-limits for Cuba, including political prisoners held by the communist government.
While praising America's initial effort to thaw relations with Havana, the leaders pushed the United States to go further and lift the 47-year-old U.S. trade embargo against Cuba.
As the first full day of meetings began, Obama exchanged handshakes and pats on the back with Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, who once likened President George W. Bush to the devil.
In front of photographers, Chavez gave Obama a copy of The Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent, a book by Eduardo Galeano that chronicles U.S. and European economic and political interference in the region.
Later, during a group photo, Obama reached behind several leaders to shake Chavez' hand for the third time. Obama summoned a translator, and the two smiled and spoke briefly.
Those two exchanges followed a brief grip-and-grin for cameras Friday night, when Obama greeted Chavez in Spanish.
"I think it was a good moment," Chavez said about their initial encounter. "I think President Obama is an intelligent man, compared to the previous U.S. president."
Later, Chavez said he is restoring Venezuela's ambassador in Washington, voicing hopes for a "new era" in relations.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/1534074,CST-NWS-obama19.article
Looks like our President is actually conducting some mature negotiating with our Latin American neighbors rather than the blustering and "for us or against us" blather of our last administration. Kudos to him.
Originally posted by no1marauderExcellent. Now, why didn't this happen fifty years ago?
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad -- President Obama offered a spirit of cooperation to America's hemispheric neighbors at a summit Saturday, listening to complaints about past U.S. meddling and even reaching out to Venezuela's leftist leader.
While he worked to ease friction between the United States and their countries, Obama cautioned leaders at the Summit o ...[text shortened]... ng and "for us or against us" blather of our last administration. Kudos to him.
Originally posted by no1marauderLooks like Obama is looking forward to negotiating with autocratic despots, the guy in Iran, the guy in venezuela, who's next? the guy in north korea?
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad -- President Obama offered a spirit of cooperation to America's hemispheric neighbors at a summit Saturday, listening to complaints about past U.S. meddling and even reaching out to Venezuela's leftist leader.
While he worked to ease friction between the United States and their countries, Obama cautioned leaders at the Summit o ...[text shortened]... ng and "for us or against us" blather of our last administration. Kudos to him.
Originally posted by generalissimoOne more time:
No, I just think Obama shouldn't treat these hostilities as harmless fun.
WHAT DO YOU PROPOSE?
As far as North Korea as I pointed out several weeks ago:
Obama just made an excellent proposal to revive the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty by accepting the basic premise of the treaty long ignored by the nuclear powers: that the present nuclear powers were supposed to work towards the reduction and eventual elimination of their stockpiles in return for other nations not developing nuclear weapons.
That seems like a good basis for future negotiations with N. Korea, Iran and others.
