Latin American Countries Line Up Behind Palestinian State

Mariano Castillo
CNN
January 4, 2011

The peace process in the Middle East may be stalled, but the balance between Israel and the Palestinians continues to shift in other ways. In the last month, four Latin American countries have added their names to the list of nations officially recognizing a Palestinian state, and more are on the horizon.

Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia and Ecuador chose the end of the year as the time to make their declarations, which may have little effect on the situation on the ground, but nonetheless gives the Palestinians a boost in the international arena. The countries join Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, which had already granted diplomatic recognition...

...While Israel and the United States may not be happy with the pronouncements, there is nothing sinister behind the moves, Christopher Sabatini, senior director of policy at the Americas Society and Council of the Americas, told CNN.

Rather, the recognitions of Palestine reflect "a much more concerted effort (by Latin America) to insert itself in global politics beyond the hemisphere," he said.

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