Marcela Sanchez: Bush LatAm plan too little, too late

President Bush’s latest plan for Latin America is ambitious but “more of a high-profile attempt at a victory lap than anything else” according to washingtonpost.com columnist Marcela Sanchez (image).

Earlier this week, Bush introduced the “Pathways to Prosperity in the Americas” along with representatives of eleven Latin America nations. The initiative is designed to create further cooperation in the region aside from the tiresome clichés on free trade.

Details have yet to be outlined although Sanchez believes that the program is vital in engaging countries with moderate leaders like Chile and the Dominican Republic. “It is as if the United States is recognizing what so many countries in the region have been insisting on for some time: free trade alone doesn't cut it” she wrote though she lamented the timing of the plan:

Had the Bush administration not been caught up in ideological squabbles so early [ed. - i.e. quarrels with Bolivia and Venezuela], the later efforts from moderates might have been received differently. As it stands, the age of prosperity is still out of the reach of the majority of Latin Americans and the Pathways initiative is at the very least an acknowledgement of that fact.

What do you think of Sanchez’ article?

Image- Rocky Mountain News

Sources- washingtonpost.com, The Latin Americanist, as-coa.org

Marcela Sanchez: Biden sends wrong message to LatAm

Washington Post columnist Marcela Sanchez recently tackled Democratic vice presidential pick Joe Biden and his views on Latin America. Sanchez’ piece takes issue with the Delaware Senator’s “protectionist” stance on free trade as well as what she deemed as a “condescending” attitude to the Americas. Sanchez also implied Latin Americans would have been more receptive had Obama tapped Bill Richardson instead of Biden.

Despite her critique of Biden, Sanchez concluded that there is an opening he could take advantage of should he ascend to the vice presidency:

Interestingly, inequality is the one Latin American issue that Biden has seemed to be passionate about. He "has fought to address the root cause of the dissatisfaction and subsequent instability that has plagued the region, particularly in recent years: tremendous social inequality," according to a statement his office sent me on Monday. While this might be interpreted solely as political pandering, it is hard to imagine Dick Cheney's office ever issuing similar remarks.

Indeed, social inequality has not only been a source of conflict within the hemisphere but also of political divisiveness. If the Democrats win in November, and tackling Latin America's inequality gap becomes the basis for a new, well-financed approach to the region, many Latin Americans could start looking to Washington in a new way.

So what do you think of Sanchez’ article?

Image- BBC News

Sources- StatemanJournal.com

Daily Headlines: July 25, 2008

* Mexico: Hurricane Dolly may’ve weakened to a tropical storm yesterday but that didn’t stop the storm from causing flooding in parts of northern Mexico and possible flooding in the Rio Grande Valley.

* Peru: Patriotism vs. morality – Peruvians are split over a magazine cover with a nude model photographed on top of the national flag.

* Latin America: Columnist Marcela Sanchez looks at the difficulties of being elderly and living in Latin America.

* Venezuela: President Hugo Chavez signed several energy and trade deals with his counterpart from Belarus, “a fellow fierce critic of the United States.”

Image- New York Times (“Gregoria Lopez sought shelter from the hurricane in Brownsville, Texas.”)

Sources- washingtonpost.com, BBC News, Reuters, AFP

Daily Headlines: June 21, 2008

* Mexico: At least 12 people are dead from a stampede caused in a Mexico City nightclub after a police raid.

* Nicaragua: Marcela Sanchez’ latest column contends that President Daniel Ortega's government has been “dismantling…democracy” in Nicaragua.

* El Salvador: Relatives of deceased diplomat José Castellanos want him to be honored posthumously by Israel for saving the lives of 25,000 Jews during World War II.

* Chile: The future of the world’s whaling industry could be decided during a conference next week in the Chilean capital of Santiago.

Image- AFP (“Local officials remove dead bodies from the nightclub.”)

Sources- BBC News, Reuters, washingtonpost.com, Guardian UK

Weekly Debate: Free trade in the Americas

Last week, Washington Post columnist Marcela Sanchez wondered if the changes to U.S. global trade policy proposed by the Democrats will be as positive as they claim. Since the Democrats took control of Congress after elections last November they have been eager to change future trade deals and released a report detailing their plan. Sanchez sees a mixed bag in the Democrats’ plan entitled “A New Trade Policy for America”:

“The Democratic proposal has elements that are welcome and attractive, including a commitment to boost trade and increase aid to poor nations. One can only hope that such aid represents at least a significant fraction of the estimated $20 billion that Democrats want to spend annually to create a safety net for U.S. workers hurt by globalization.

Yet it is not very clear that the Democrats are committed to the fundamental aspect of trade that benefits poorer nations -- free and fair access to the U.S. market. The Democratic proposal also lacks any mention of ending protections for U.S. producers, particularly the multibillion-dollar agricultural subsidies that have historically obtained congressional passage with broad Democratic support”.

Nonetheless, Sanchez concludes her article by applauding the Democrats’ effort “that finds a broad middle ground and does not need to appeal to the extremes”.

Will Congress leverage its influence on the Bush administration to change free trade agreements or is it really just empty rhetoric? Should U.S. free trade deals be changed or are they fine as is? Will the Americas continue to be divided over whether to support or reject free trade?

What do you think?

Links- The Latin Americanist, Washington Post, House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee

Image- Washington Post (Brazilian coffee picker gathering seeds for "fair trade" coffee)