Obama Addresses Cuba, Trade at Summit
President Urges South American Leaders to Resist Blaming Their Problems on the U.S.
LAURA MECKLER
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad -- President Barack Obama told leaders of South America that the U.S. was "on a path" toward changing the nature of its relationship with Cuba, as he faced continued pressure from his counterparts to drop the U.S. trade embargo.
Mr. Obama also challenged the Latin American leaders to consider the lack of democracy in Cuba, given that each of them had been democratically elected in their own nations.
At a private meeting with the Union of South American Nations, made up of the 12 leaders of that continent, during the Summit of the Americas, several of them told Mr. Obama that they would like to see him go further to loosen U.S. policy toward Cuba, including lifting the nearly half-century-old trade embargo, a senior U.S. official said.
"The president responded that he understands the importance of Cuba for Latin America," the official said. "He said we are on a path of changing the nature of our relationship with that country. He said that change will not happen overnight."
At the summit's first plenary session, leaders discussed the world economic crisis, and Mr. Obama made note of increased aid now available through the International Monetary Fund, aides said. Larry Summers, head of Mr. Obama's National Economic Council, said the president would return to Washington on Sunday with a stronger regional commitment to shared growth than had existed before.
Officials also expected progress in discussions on climate change and public security, although no major new initiatives or agreements are expected.
There was some movement on trade, though, as U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk met with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and the Colombian finance minister to discuss a pending U.S.-Colombian free trade agreement. Mr. Obama has opposed the pact due to concerns over violence against labor leaders in Colombia.
"We hope that dialogue continues and we can make progress about the remaining concerns that we have," said White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.
On Saturday, Mr. Obama also reiterated his intention to turn the page on U.S. relations with Latin America, after several of South American leaders complained to him about past U.S. political intervention in the region. That was also a major theme of his public comments Friday evening during welcoming ceremonies, and reflects Mr. Obama's approach to many world leaders frustrated with the U.S. after several years of tense relations.
"The president made the point that he's not here to argue history," said the senior U.S. official, who was at the meeting with the South Americans. "He said we need to understand the past, have to move ahead, very forward-looking."
Mr. Obama added that just as the U.S. must recognize its past, other nations should "avoid the temptation, the easy temptation, to blame anything that goes wrong or any problems that exist on the United States," the official said.
Saturday also featured more theater between Mr. Obama and bombastic Venezuelan leader Hugo Chávez, who railed against the U.S. just days ago but seems to be reveling in interacting with Mr. Obama at the summit.
He told reporters that he is expects to send an ambassador to the United States shortly. The U.S. and Venezuela haven't exchanged ambassadors since September 2008, when Mr. Chávez kicked out the U.S. ambassador out of solidarity with Bolivia, which had done the same. There was no immediate response from U.S. officials.
Before the regional meeting, Mr. Chávez approached Mr. Obama and handed him a book, ``The Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent,'' a book by Eduardo Galeano, which chronicles U.S. and European economic and political interference in the region.
Later he said he initially thought Mr. Chávez had given him one of his own books. "I was going to give him one of mine,'' Mr. Obama said. An aide later suggested it was unlikely that Mr. Obama would read the book given that is written in Spanish.
Hugo Chávez, right, and President Obama greeted each other warmly.
On Friday night, the two leaders met face to face, grasping hands warmly in front of photographers, and a smiling Mr. Chávez said, "I want to be your friend."
Asked if these encounters with Mr. Chávez had paved the way for a meeting, Mr. Obama didn't directly answer. "I think we're making progress at the summit,'' he said.
But other U.S. officials said they are not yet convinced that Mr. Chávez's comments represent new policy.
"Smiles and handshakes and the desire of one leader to say to the president that he wants to be his friend is a wonderful opportunity to match actions with words," Mr. Gibbs said. "The president and others in the administration will be anxiously awaiting those new actions."
Mr. Chávez, for instance, could invite the U.S. to reinstate its ambassador to Venezuela after he was asked to leave in September, or show more cooperation with U.S. officials in the drug war.
Another official suggested Mr. Chávez's motivation may be attention as much as anything.
"This is the nature of the person, and anybody who's been at international conferences with Chávez knows that if there's a camera around, he's going to find a way to get in it," he said.
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