President Obama had more than the embarrassment of his security team to worry about at The two-day Summit of the Americas in the Colombian city of Cartagena. Ending on Sunday, the US and Canada found themselves at odds with Latin American nations pushing for Cuba to attend future meetings and over Argentina's claim to the British-controlled South Atlantic islands it calls Las Malvinas. The Brits refer to the controversial islands as the Falklands.
Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner was so incensed, she bailed out of the summit early citing her anger that the leaders didn't even mention the dispute over the islands with the UK." The Argentine leader was overhead saying 'This is pointless. Why did I even come here?'"
Seemingly feeling the strength of their numbers when united, some Latin American states are clearly setting a new course without the US necessarily being a focal point of consideration. According to Bolivia's Evo Morales "All the countries here in Latin American and the Caribbean want Cuba to be present. But the United States won't accept," Morales told reporters late on Saturday. "It's like a dictatorship." BTW, the Bolivian leader also left in disgust.
With dictatorships lacking favor these days, the Americas gave the US and Canada a sampling of a little "Latin Spring". Moving to the include Cuba at the next gathering or threatening to dissolve the event altogether, left the impression of the US further isolating itself from global consensus.
Another major break in policy among many South American states is their views on fighting the war on drugs. Increasingly, South America is moving toward considering legalization and or the decriminalization of drugs, as new weapons of choice to combat the powerful cartels. After spending billions and losing tens of thousands lives to a war without end, these Latin States are ready and willing to take another approach.
Fighting the drug trade retro style has become fruitless in the eyes of the pragmatic. In fact, three out of four in the US believe that the United States' forty year "war against drugs" has failed, according to a 2008 poll from Zogby International and the Inter-American dialogue.
The United States however remains committed to using current laws, law enforcement and heavy sentencing to try to curb drug trafficking and use. On a visit to Central America and Mexico last month, US Vice-President Joe Biden said: "There's no possibility the Obama-Biden administration will change its policy on legalisation." While there is not complete agreement among those looking for alternative approaches, many are looking to shift away from failed and wasteful efforts of the past.
Oddly enough, Cuba appears to be among the US' few allies on this issue as they too feel legalization is the way to go. No matter how you cut it, change is in the wind and that wind is not at the US' back.
Is Latin America Feeling their Oats
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