The Latin American reaction to the Sixth Summit of the Americas continues to roll in, and for those of us from the United States, it is not an encouraging one.
How much diminished is U.S. influence in Latin America? Has Washington properly processed this dramatic geopolitical change? This analysis from Brazil’s Opera Mundi paints the picture of a Washington that has so far failed to absorb the changed circumstances in what was once known as the U.S. ‘backyard’, where even the closest allies of the United States stand with its staunchest Latin American adversaries.
Here are some excerpts from the analysis, written by the Opera Mundi’s Thassio Borges:
“This conference reverses the traditional behavior of the early 20th century, when the U.S. dictated the Latin American agenda. That has changed. The U.S. no longer leads the region,” said William da Silva Gonçalves, professor of international relations at the State University of Rio de Janeiro.
For Gonçalves, although the scenario is increasingly clear, the North Americans have a hard time assimilating the new relationships playing out with these countries, particularly those in South America. “Obviously, they [the U.S.] have some difficulty assimilating all this, especially in terms of relations with Brazil, which must now be based on equality,” he added.
“This is a historic issue. Since the first summit in 1994, Cuba has not participated because the country’s political system is not a “democracy.” Several of these forums have now been held and Latin American countries have increasingly pushed for Cubans to be included. This year, the pressure became concrete and certainly, this will be the last summit without the country,” said Luis Fernando Ayerbe, coordinator of the Institute of Economic and International Studies at the State University of São Paulo.
“The U.S. remains a major global power, and it will continue to be so for a long time to come. But it is no longer able to dictate to Latin America – with the exception of Mexico, which is tied to the U.S. via the North American Free Trade Agreement. Everyone else is acting in unison. Of course, there are differences among some leaders, but that’s natural. They no longer accept U.S. command, and there is an awareness that the Latin American states form a bloc with common interests,” Gonçalves explained.
Colombians realized that integration with other Latin American countries is more advantageous than agreements with the North Americans.
“Historically, evidence shows that aligning with the United States does not provide for the development of countries in the region. Colombian businessmen have pressured President Santos for the government to adopt new positions with regard to their neighbors, such as Venezuela,” he said.
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