Стр. 12 - V

Author : V. Sudarev
Deputy Director, Institute of Latin America, Russian Academy of Sciences, Professor, Doctor of Science
(Political Science)
THE ACTIONS of Barack Obama's administration in Latin Amer-
ica in some respects differ from what his predecessors were doing
there. These differences emerged during his election campaign. It
should be admitted that he has inherited an extremely beneficial
legacy from George W. Bush, who, during his two presidential terms,
failed to achieve his main goal in the region, i.e., to create the Free
Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), largely due to the leftist drift
that emerged there in the early 21st century.
It was also remarkable that in his election campaign speeches,
Barack Obama has moved away from the traditionally high-profile
but, as a rule, unrealistic plans for "a single America" and pan-Amer-
ican interests and values.
Before Obama, no American president dared even so much as to hint at the possibility of nor-
malizing relations with the Island of Freedom for fear of losing the votes of the anti-Cuba lobby
in Florida.
Obama took a risk and, unexpectedly to many, received support from the majority of voters and
in addition, acquired popularity in Latin America, unprecedented for a U.S. president. According
to most polls conducted in Spanish-speaking countries, the approval of his course reached 80%
towards the end of his presidency.
For the first time in the history of U.S.-Mexican relations, the U.S. president officially acknowl-
edged that drug cartels fought mostly with American weapons smuggled in from the United
States.
Naturally, the Obama administration had to react to the critical situation in one way or another.
In May 2010, as a matter of urgency, the U.S. and Mexican presidents created a special commis-
sion to develop joint measures to stop the violence on the border.
On the whole, a certain measure of harmonization has recently emerged in U.S.-Mexican rela-
tions. The latest meeting, which took place in Mexico in May 2014, addressed an array of issues
related to strengthening North American security, better border protection and joint action to
eliminate the effects of natural disasters. Barack Obama openly supported the Mexican presi-
dent's efforts to implement energy, telecoms and education reforms.
OBVIOUSLY, the most significant event in the past few years was the U.S. and Cuban decision
in December 2014 to restore diplomatic relations. The decision was hard for the Obama admin-
istration, while the U.S. president had to show his lobbyist skills on the Capitol Hill, especially
considering that after the Republican victory in the November elections, it was they, not the De-
mocrats, who took control of a number of key committees.
Электронное приложение к журналу «Международная жизнь»
Washington in Search of New Approaches Towards Latin America