Obama's Latin America Envoy Gets An Earful In Argentina

[Judi Lynn]

Obama's Latin America Envoy Gets An Earful In Argentina
12/18/2009 By Matthew Cowley
Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

BUENOS AIRES -(Dow Jones)- President Barack Obama's senior Latin America diplomat came to Argentina this week determined to listen, and left with an earful.

"I want to stress again that the purpose of my trip is not to go down with a series of specific issues that I want to explore," Arturo Valenzuela, assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, said before leaving Washington for a trip which also included Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay. "I want to listen."

Talking to local press in Buenos Aires as his trip was wrapping up Wednesday, Valenzuela relayed some criticism he'd heard from the representatives of U.S. companies about the local investment climate. That triggered a ferocious response from the Argentine government that has been front-page news for the last two days.

The episode highlights the difficulty of diplomacy in a region where attitudes toward the U.S. can often be ambivalent, particularly among the more populist administrations, including Argentina's.

On the one hand, they blame the U.S. for many of the region's historical woes and most recently for triggering the global financial crisis. On the other hand, after frosty relations with former President George W. Bush, many are trying to figure out how best to handle their relationship with Obama, who's often viewed more favorably in local opinion polls.

More:
http://www.advfn.com/news_Obamas-Latin-America-Envoy-Gets-An-Earful-In-Argentina_40832585.html

http://www.pbs.org.nyud.net:8090/newshour/images/latin_america/jan-june05/vene15.jpg http://www.minuto59.com.nyud.net:8090/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/arturo-valenzuela.jpg http://www.infinita.cl.nyud.net:8090/media/noticias/imagenes/arturovalenzuela.jpg

Arturo Valenzuela

http://www2.pictures.gi.zimbio.com.nyud.net:8090/World+Leaders+Gather+Discuss+Financial+Crisis+8_Wk-XAXR2Al.jpg

President Cristina Fernandez