The enduring image from last weekend’s Summit of the Americas was the encounters between the presidents of Venezuela and the U.S. Since returning from the summit, Barack Obama has received plenty of stick from right-wing commentators like Newt Gingrich and John Bolton.Aside from the ranting of some talking heads, how did some of the region’s rightist leaders view Obama’s role at the summit? Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper praised his neighbor for creating a "new era of dialogue" for the western hemisphere. Harper also commended Obama for emphasizing cooperation among the countries of Americas while also acknowledging differing ideological perspectives.
Despite worries that Colombia’s President (and staunch Bush admin ally) Alvaro Uribe would be marginalized, Obama and Uribe were able to square away several key issues. Both leaders pledged to visit the other’s country and Obama said that he would ask Trade Representative Ron Kirk to work with Colombian officials on the stalled free trade deal. “What matters is what is to come, what we can advance, the future meetings, the full agenda," observed Colombian Foreign Minister Jaime Bermudez.
If two of the region’s main right-wing presidents praised Obama for his work at the summit, then what does that say about some of the exaggerative criticism he has faced at home?
Image- Voice of America
Online Sources- FT.com, FOX News, The Latin Americanist, globeandmail.com, Caribbean Net News, Colombia Reports, People’s Daily Online, GlobalPost
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