Economy, Security in Spotlight as Obama Heads to Costa Rica
Economy, Security in Spotlight as Obama Heads to Costa Rica
“Fostering greater cooperation between Central American countries on security matters could be a key role for Obama to play,” points out AS/COA’s Jason Marczak.
San Jose, Costa Rica (CNN) -- As U.S. President Barack Obama prepares to head to Costa Rica to meet with Central American leaders on Friday, a top official there says he's sensed a shift in how Obama's administration views the region.
"In the first term, we noticed indifference," Costa Rican Foreign Minister Enrique Castillo told CNN en Español this week. "This gesture of coming to Costa Rica and meeting with the Central American presidents is a change."
So are the priorities officials have said they hope to discuss, Castillo said, including development, trade and improving the climate for investments.
Before Obama headed to Mexico for the first stop on his Latin America trip this week, administration officials said they hoped to focus on economic matters….
But even as Obama and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto stressed the importance of deepening economic ties in Mexico Thursday, security issues loomed large over their meeting….
Fostering greater cooperation between Central American countries on security matters could be a key role for Obama to play, said Jason Marczak, director of policy at the Americas Society and Council of the Americas.
"He is going to try to use it (his visit) to encourage the Central American governments to work more closely together on security issues. ... There is a challenge in Central America because many times the governments do not work together in regard to this issue," Marczak said….
