海角大神

Frustrated with US meddling, Latin America seeks its own path

President Obama is in Panama this weekend for the Summit of the Americas, where he'll meet with regional leaders who have grown increasingly determined to assert autonomy from the US.

As leaders from across Latin America and the Caribbean gather in Panama Friday for the seventh Summit of the Americas, diplomatic shifts unthinkable even a year ago will be on display as Cuba joins in for the first time.

But the historic nature of the gathering may not prevent a heated summit. Venezuela is threatening to eclipse important regional discussions in its anger over sanctions directed at it by the United States.聽Nations across the region face weakened economies, and corruption scandals are plaguing countries from Mexico to Chile. Protesters on the sidelines are speaking out against Nicaragua鈥檚 new inter-oceanic canal and the ongoing US embargo on Cuba.

The dissension around the forum raises the question of what 鈥� or who 鈥� can unify the region and help move it forward.

The US played an outsized role in Latin America for decades, meddling in nations鈥� internal affairs, backing coups against democratically-elected leaders, and influencing the region鈥檚 economies through Washington-based institutions such as the World Bank.

The past decade-plus, however, has been defined by a Latin America increasingly asserting its diplomatic and economic autonomy from Washington, empowered by growing commodity-based economies and the ability to borrow from new sources such as China.

Still, while聽some tried to fill the leadership void 鈥� former Venezuelan President Hugo Ch谩vez with his "petrodollar diplomacy" and former Brazilian President Luiz In谩cio Lula da Silva driving for more south-south development 鈥� no one has fully stepped into that role. And the need for that sole Goliath in the region may now be trumped by multiple regional alliances that have flourished in the Americas.聽

鈥淲e are in a transition in Latin America,鈥� says Roberto Izurieta, head of the Latin America department at George Washington University鈥檚 Graduate School of Political Management in Washington. 鈥淭he region that we are seeing today is going to be very different than the one we will be analyzing even next year,鈥� he says, noting that those that exerted power in recent years are now turning inward to deal with domestic challenges.

Silence on Venezuela?

The quiet response from Latin American leaders on widespread protests and reports of human rights abuses in Venezuela over the past year highlights the region's shifting聽 approach.聽

For months before the US got involved, observers across the globe were聽asking why Venezuela鈥檚 neighbors weren鈥檛聽taking a stronger stance against the political unrest and government crackdowns there. This sense of "inaction" played into US sanctions.聽

A young protester was killed while demonstrating at an antigovernment rally in February, an incident that raised fears that nationwide protests like those seen a year prior would reemerge. Some 33 of nearly 80 opposition mayors are now facing legal charges from the government, and a handful of opposition politicians have been sent to prison over the past year.

Yet regional alliances like the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) say they are taking steps to keep Venezuela in check, mediating negotiations between the government and the political opposition in Caracas last year. Many observers expect the UNASUR to take Venezuela to task if it tries to postpone 2015 legislative elections.聽

So when President Obama announced that Venezuela was a threat to national security last month, a move legally required to pass sanctions against seven senior officials targeted for undermining democracy and committing acts of violence or human rights abuses, the reaction from Latin America was swift.

Regional allies spoke out against the called on the entire region to defend Venezuela as 鈥渙ne of us.鈥� Even nations normally less quick to support Venezuela expressed disappointment in Obama鈥檚 move, with Chile鈥檚 foreign minister saying Venezuela鈥檚 challenges 鈥渕ust 鈥� between President Nicol谩s Maduro鈥檚 government and the political opposition.The US decision to sanction Venezuela, critics argue, only gives President Maduro more fodder to distract from challenges at home such as food and medical supply shortages and sky-high inflation.

The lack of a single Latin American voice calling out the Venezuelan government was likely intentional, says Eric Hershberg, director of American University鈥檚 Center on Latin American and Latino Studies.

He says the region 鈥� given its experience with 20th-century US involvement 鈥� is prioritizing 鈥渃onsensus, multilateralism, and noninterference鈥� in neighbor鈥檚 domestic affairs.

鈥淥ne single leader isn鈥檛 going to address the challenges in Latin America,鈥� Mr. Hershberg says. 鈥淣o one wants any one country in the lead.鈥�