[NZZ
am Sonntag, Switzerland]
El Universal, Venezuela
If Obama Wins …
What Can Latin America Expect?
"He will look for a way to liberate
his economy from the tyranny of oil, even at the cost of his own automotive and
energy industries. He will entrust supply only to time-tested friends like
Canada and Mexico, which will be detrimental to only one Latin American country
[Venezuela]."
By Antonio A. Herrera-Vaillant
Translated By Liz Essary
October 24, 2008
Venezuela
- El Universal - Original Article (French)
A month ago it seemed
impossible. Today, Barack Hussein Obama has the Presidency of the United States
within reach. Confronted with the economic crisis, the polls project that he
has a significant lead, and, though the result won't be known until the end,
this could be a repeat of Kennedy-Nixon: Obama is simply more telegenic.
What
would the implications be for Latin America?
First: Obama shouldn't be a
stooge for the charlatans of global neo-communism. Latin America couldn't care
less if Obama nominates judges outlawing the carrying of firearms or allowing
abortions, gay marriage and all that gets the left and right over there so
worked up. Nor would it be surprising if he retains an unbalanced, lopsided
budget. His turn to "the left" shouldn't go any further than the
moderate British Labour Party, at most expanding the
health care system. If he goes further than that, he loses.
Second: Any Latin American
tyrant [ie.: Hugo Chavez], no matter how comfortable
they may be, would have to mourn. If Obama imitates Jimmy Carter, there will be more attacks on human rights violators; nor should
they [the tyrants] be pleased if he's like all the other Democrats, from Wilson
to Johnson, who launched the greatest wars in defense of the fundamental
interests of the United States. Obama would pay dearly if this weren't the
case.
Freeing the economy is third:
He will look for a way to liberate his economy from the tyranny of oil, even at
the cost of his own automotive and energy industries. He will entrust supply
only to time-tested friends like Canada and Mexico, which will be detrimental
to only one Latin American country [Venezuela]. As for foreign trade: It was
Clinton who won final approval of NAFTA, so Columbia still has many
possibilities. [Colombia is waiting for Washington to approve a similar
agreement with them]
Fourth: There will be a
disintegration of talk among those in and out of the United States who play the
race card, but with an added element: As the son of two PhDs, a Kenyan man and
a White woman from Kansas, Obama doesn't carry the baggage of the tradition of
slavery; and he knows the advantage of ridding his mind of the ghetto. If this
isn't the case, he will fail.
Fifth: He doesn't have a feel
for Latin America and he has a weakness for Africa. He's highly susceptible to
clichés of the "sandalistas [hippies ie: people who wear sandals]" of the North American
left. But he's intelligent and above all, he seems very practical. But if he
doesn't reach the top of the learning curve quickly, in this region we'll end
up paying for his mistakes in attitude, naivety, or disinformation.
But like [Brazilian
President] Lula, in the long run Obama could leave the same despots who begin
by calling him “brother” holding the bag, just like those who believe him to be
the Anti-Christ. If the result isn't the projected one, the United States will
make him pay - and pay in full.
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[Posted by WORLDMEETS.US November 3, 8:30pm]
