Recently confirmed U.S. Ass’t. Sec. of State Arturo Valenzuela kicked off his first visit to the region with a stopover in Brazil Monday, trying to patch up a relationship that has looked to be on thin ice in recent weeks. Valenzuela, reports AFP, held meetings not with foreign minister Celso Amorim, however, but with Lula’s closest foreign policy advisor, Marco Aurelio Garcia. The two sought to “clear the air,” in Mr. Garcia’s words. Among the specific topics touched upon: Iran, Honduras, and the increased US military presence in Colombia.
On Iran, Garcia said Brazil believed Iran “had a positive role to play” in achieving MidEast peace and told Valenzuela that Brazil will continue to support the country’s right to a nuclear energy program, so long as it abides by IAEA norms and was purely civilian in nature. As AFP reporting points out, the discussion came after Sec. of State Hillary Clinton’s warning to Latin American countries that deepening relations with Iran could come with unspecificed “consequences.” But Mr. Garcia said he did not believe Ms. Clinton’s words were a warning for Brazil. “If that was the message, it was mistaken,” he said Monday. For more on Iran in Latin America, conservative WSJ columnist Bret Stephens attacks close Venezuela-Iran relations and argues, if my history is correct, that a possible replay of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis is on the horizon.
On Honduras, Garcia said he and Mr. Valenzuela found two points of common ground. First, there was agreement that Roberto Micheletti must step down as leader of the Central American country and second, Mel Zelaya must be granted safe passage out of the Brazilian Embassy where he continues to reside under threat of arrest if he exits. Reuters quotes Garcia: “We coincide in something: for the Brazilian and the U.S. governments the election is insufficient to normalize democracy.” The Brazilian added the differences between the two governments on Honduras were “small.” According to Garcia, the U.S. and Brazil would also establish a “consulting mechanism” for permanent dialogue to discuss their differences on next steps in Honduras. For more analysis, see RNS at Honduras Coup 2009 who remains skeptical that the U.S. and Brazil are on the same page.
And, finally, on Colombia, Garcia called the new U.S. presence at multiple Colombian bases “not a positive factor in the region.” He went on to urge the U.S. to talk directly with those most concerned with the Colombian bases issue. For his part, Mr. Valenzuela offered few remarks to the press after the meeting, simply stating that: “What impresses me is how much we are in agreement on basic fundamentals in our relationship.” Valenzuela travels on to Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay to finish off his MERCOSUR tour.
With other news from Honduras this morning, ex Honduran president Ricardo Maduro Joest said over the weekend that he believes both parties to the ongoing crisis should be given political amnesty when all is said and done. The AP reports that Pepe Lobo, speaking Monday, said he is willing to meet with Mel Zelaya anywhere, anytime to help end the crisis—including inside the Brazilian Embassy in Tegucigalpa. The two were supposed to meet in the DR Monday, but the coup regime blocked a Zelaya exit with various conditions. A similar situation arose last week when Mexico attempted to offer Zelaya a new home. Also Monday, El Tiempo reports the beginning of the “Great National Dialogue” in Honduras, headed by Pepe Lobo. At the “Dialogue” kick-off, Lobo called for the creation of a reconciliation government between now and his inauguration in late January. Notably absent from the talks, however, were any Zelaya supporters. And finally, CIP’s Americas Program director, Laura Carlsen, writes in The Nation on Nov. 29 elections. Carlsen was in Tegucigalpa for the vote as part of a women’s human rights delegation. She concludes:
“The US State Department insists on the formation of a national unity government and a truth commission to repair the rifts in Honduras. But by recognizing the coup-run elections, it has hardened the regime's position and made a mess of mediation efforts to end the coup. The Obama administration now has both the continuing Honduran crisis and a divided hemisphere on its hands, with no solution in sight.”
In other News:
More Chilean Election Analysis
More analysis of the first round of voting in Chile. The LA Times says the popularity of current President Michelle Bachelet did not translate to success for her coalition’s candidate, Eduardo Frei. While most Chileans support the social programs that Ms. Bachelet has extended (extension of pensions to an additional 2 million Chileans, including, for the first time, homemakers; the consolidation of universal healthcare; and the quadrupling of government-run day-care centers, among them), there is dissatisfaction with the Chilean education system, as well as the economy, the paper reports. “The country's blistering, export-driven growth jag of the 1990s has run out of steam, and Pinera's campaign promise of a more entrepreneurial approach resonated with voters.” The billionaire part owner of LAN Chile, the country’s most recognized airline, also has said he will make industrialization of Chile's economy a major goal. In an interview with Spain’s El País Pinera says he has no plans of being the “guardian of the past but rather the builder of the future” if elected in round 2. And at the blog Monkey Cage, Greg Weeks picks up on significant changes in the Chilean legislature after Sunday’s vote. Forty five of the 120 deputies elected are first-timers, he notes, and many come from the Chilean Right.
Climate Change’s Effect on Bolivia
With climate change meetings ongoing in Denmark (and with Evo Morales and Hugo Chavez set to address the meetings shortly), the New York Times reports on the impact of global warming in Bolivia, where now disappearing glaciers have long provided water and electricity to parts of the country. Astonishingly, the paper writes the following:
“If the water problems are not solved, El Alto, a poor sister city of La Paz, could perhaps be the first large urban casualty of climate change. A World Bank report concluded last year that climate change would eliminate many glaciers in the Andes within 20 years, threatening the existence of nearly 100 million people.”
Military Trials in Argentina, Threats against Kirchner
Spain’s El País reports on the beginning of a new military trial in Argentina that puts 19 former state security officials before a judge for tortures and killings committed at the infamous Escuela Superior de Mecánica de la Armada (ESMA). The paper writes that this will be the first “mega trial” for those involved in activities at ESMA, and it brings together the cases of 85 victims, three of whom were founding members of the Madres de la Plaza de Mayo.
In a somewhat related piece, El País also has a story today on bizarre threats against the life of President Cristina Kirchner, intercepted by radio as she traveled by helicopter Monday. Voices were heard on the helicopter’s military radio saying “Kill the women, Kill the Fish,” says the paper. Some suspect that the threats may be related to the beginning of the trial of the 19 officials involved in crimes at ESMA.
Venezuelan Judge Jailed
And the AP reports on debate in Venezuela after a judge who freed a high-profile banker now finds herself in jail. President Hugo Chavez condemned the judge, Maria Afiuni, as a “criminal” for commuting the sentence of the banker. “It's unacceptable pressure being put on the judicial branch by the executive branch,” Alberto Arteaga Sanchez, a criminal law professor at Venezuela's Central University, said Monday. “It’s a case that demonstrates the weakness of Venezuela's democratic system.” Others say the decision by Mr. Chavez illustrates the breakdown of the rule of law and separation of powers. For their part, Chavez supporters defended the move, saying the case is symptomatic of a “judicial branch that still remains in the hands of mafias to a great extent.”
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