Clinton Seeks to Mend Latin America Ties After Obama Hope Faded

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Bloomberg

Clinton Seeks to Mend Latin America Ties After Obama Hope Faded
By Daniel Cancel

March 1 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will seek to repair strained ties with Latin America during a five-nation tour this week after early optimism about a new relationship under President Barack Obama fizzled.

The toughest leg of her journey may come today, when she’ll cross paths with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez at the inauguration of Uruguayan President-elect Jose “Pepe” Mujica. Chavez has been a vocal critic of the U.S.’s handling of the military coup in Honduras, its agreement to boost troops in Colombia and limited progress in improving relations with Cuba.

From Uruguay, Clinton will go to Chile, where she’ll see some of the destruction wrought by the 8.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Feb. 27, killing hundreds. Her trip to the region is designed to surmount doubts from regional leaders including Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva about Obama’s promise last year for a “new direction” in relations.

“She’s on a damage control agenda,” said Juan Gabriel Tokatlian, professor of international relations at Universidad Torcuato Di Tella in Buenos Aires. “If she comes with an agenda she will be listened to, but if she came only for a goodwill tour some leaders will ask her why she even bothered.”

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=asOi2jWmOcFA

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On edit, adding:

Clinton adds Buenos Aires to Latin American tour
By Lachlan Carmichael (AFP) – 3 hours ago

SAN JUAN — US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton added Buenos Aires to what is now a six-country Latin American tour highlighted by a solidarity, albeit shortened visit to quake-stricken Chile.

With her schedule thrown into flux by the quake, Clinton will spend Monday night in the Argentine capital after a lightning visit to Montevideo, where she will attend Jose Mujica's inauguration as Uruguay's president, aides said.

The chief US diplomat dropped initial plans to spend the night in Santiago, the Chilean capital, but will travel there on Tuesday and spend a few hours at the airport, top Clinton aide Philippe Reines told traveling reporters.

There she will meet Chilean President Michelle Bachelet and president-elect Sebastian Pinera.

"We want to show America's support for the people of Chile while mindful of the realities on the ground," said Reines, the deputy assistant secretary of state, during a refueling stop in Puerto Rico.

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