Obama Steers Between Dueling Critics in Latin American Outreach

Julianna Goldman and Kim Chipman
Bloomberg
April 20, 2009

President Barack Obama returns from a four-day Latin American trip to face Republican criticism that he went too far in reaching out to critics like Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and lingering complaints from regional leaders he didn’t go far enough to change U.S. policies.

Obama sought to strike a balance during the Summit of the Americas, which ended yesterday, by trying to open an avenue for relations with long-time regional adversaries like Chavez without retreating from core U.S. positions such as a demand for democratic change in Cuba.

The president proclaimed his approach a success at the end of the summit, even if others were less certain.

“The test for all of us is not only words, but also deeds,” Obama said at a news conference in Port of Spain, Trinidad. “What we showed here is that we can make progress when we are willing to break free from some of the stale debates and old ideologies that have dominated and distorted the debate...”

...“On balance, the region does want a deeper engagement, so long as they perceive it being on the basis of mutual respect,” said Eric Farnsworth, vice president of the Washington-based Council of the Americas. “It takes two to tango.”

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