Reverberation
of President-Elect Ollanta Humala's trip to the White House
by
Mark Loyka & Sandra Zuniga Guzman --- COHA
On
July 6th, 2011, Peruvian President-Elect Ollanta Humala wrapped up
his hemispheric tour with a trip to Washington. Following his short
diplomatic visits to the Southern Cone as well as other Andean
nations, Humala met in Washington with a series of important key
figures from both the United States and the Organization for American
States (OAS), including previously scheduled meetings with Secretary
of State Hillary Clinton and OAS Secretary-General José Miguel
Insulza. Notably, Humala's stay in Washington was highlighted by an
unscheduled visit from President Barack Obama during the Peruvian
president-elect's scheduled meeting with National Security Advisor
Tom Donilon.
Obama's
gesture of political courtesy and respect included short discussions
over Humala's plans for Peru's continued implementation of
market-based economic policies, while focusing on the Peruvian
leader's advocacy of greater socio-economic inclusiveness. In the
end, both heads of state concluded by reaffirming their mutual
commitment to strengthening diplomatic ties between Peru and the
United States. The emerging relationship between the two presidents
marks an insightful development in the progressive foreign policy
promised by the Obama administration; an analytical study that
focuses on the way in which both governments craft their relationship
will give greater insight into the new Latin America.
The
outcome
Humala's
visit was clearly seen as a diplomatic tour de force by all parties.
In another gathering, President-Elect Humala alongside
Secretary-General Insulza remarked on the importance of Peru's
cooperation with the OAS and called for the "integration of the
entire American region… to strengthen the OAS as an institution
that brings together all of the American countries." At
Secretary Clinton's meeting with Humala, Clinton highlighted the US
willingness to constructively engage with Humala's political agenda,
stressing that "the United States stands ready to be his
partner." Despite the lack of significant policy discussion,
important diplomatic headway was accomplished during the visit. In
fact, Obama's meeting with Peru's first somewhat left-leaning
president will be symbolic if the Obama administration is truly
willing to reevaluate its relationship with Latin America. Up to this
point, region specialists have been sorely disappointed with the lack
of innovative direction on the part of US policy-making, emphasizing
that there was little difference between the former Bush
administration's hard-line policies and what the Obama administration
was substituting in its stead.
For
Humala, a warm welcome to Washington by the Obama administration
comes as something of a surprise and might be meant as a significant
marker that Washington is belatedly beginning to overhaul US
Latin-American policy, which has been somewhat lame, paralyzed and
completely uninspired. In fact, prior to Humala's electoral victory
in early June, several members of the State Department, including the
US Ambassador to Peru, Rose Likins, supported a possible new Fujimori
administration under Keiko. Similarly, during her time as Ambassador
to El Salvador, Likins interfered in the 2004 elections in El
Salvador by threatening to remove US assistance if the Farabundo
Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) party achieved victory.
Despite the initial lack of support for his presidential candidacy,
Humala stressed his own commitment to resolving any problems or
differences between the two countries, emphasizing his hopes for a
positive relationship that deals with issues in a "pragmatic
manner that leaves behind ideology." Obama's willingness to
constructively engage with the government in Lima provides a
potential gateway to renew relations with Humala's supporters, such
as Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela and Colombia.
The
upcoming Peruvian inauguration
On
July 28th, 2011, president-elect Ollanta Humala will formally
celebrate his accession to political office. During his visit to
Washington, Humala invited Secretary Clinton to attend the
inauguration. A previously scheduled engagement in Indonesia forced
the diplomat to graciously decline the invitation with a pledge from
Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Arturo
Valenzuela, that an important delegation would attend in her place.
Valenzuela, who will be stepping down from his position later this
summer, did not confirm whether he will attend the event. It would
behoove the Obama administration to send this top ranking official as
a sign of a commitment to upgrade this administration's ties to the
new government in Lima.
The
rise of environmental visions
President
Obama's drop-in to a regionally-flavored meeting, conjured up
surprise, as Obama not only discussed economic and security issues,
but also brought up the importance of formulating policy initiatives
that focused on environmental sustainability and accountability. It
would be commendable for both leaders to address the importance of
environmental issues in regards to indigenous rights, especially if a
renegotiation of the preexisting Free Trade Agreement were to take
place. These issues are more prevalent than ever, as environmental
and indigenous rights protests sweep throughout the southern region
of Peru and activists raise concerns over deforestation and the
displacement of tribes in the Amazon. If Washington is able to
address these matters and formulate progressive Latin American policy
as promised, it will surely be seen in a better light among Peruvians
and other leftist leaders in the region.
The
road ahead
These
recent events in Washington have been one of the first hopeful signs
that the Obama administration might be ready to part with the old
doctrine of the Bush administration, and harmonize with its promise
for progressive and enlightened policies geared towards Latin
America. Yet, these initial strides to change American foreign policy
should not end in Lima. Washington has now generated a modicum of
inertia when it comes to nurturing a new vantage point for a fresh
and vital inter-American policy. Relations with the Andean countries
that were previously tarnished by the Bush administration's policies,
and continued into Obama's first term, can and should be amended,
especially in Bolivia, Ecuador and Venezuela, where the United States
has yet to assign new ambassadors.
After
a series of diplomatic flaws over the years, that served to alienate
the region, it is time for the State Department, with the aid of
President Obama, to urge Congress to appoint new ambassadors to La
Paz, Quito, and Caracas, a process that can be paralyzed by partisan
political games. Now, as China becomes a greater economic competitor
in the region, and formally overtakes the United States as Peru's top
trade partner, the best way for the United States to insure its own
self-interest and maintain economic and political relevancy would be
to stress its commitment to new policies that favor the mutual
interests of all parties involved. This is extremely important when
renegotiating fair and respectful Free Trade Agreements with
countries such as Peru, Colombia and Panama. As Humala's agenda of
social and economic inclusion continues to attract the support of
Latin American leaders, Washington is sure to benefit from including
Lima's hopes for regional cooperation in the fight against drug
trafficking, illiteracy, and poverty as part of its own policy
initiative. Such a move would surely win the support of the region as
well as improve the US image at large.
