Posted on Wed, Apr. 09, 2008
By PABLO BACHELET
pbachelet@MiamiHerald.com
WASHINGTON --
Sen. Christopher Dodd, one of the most influential Democratic lawmakers
on Latin American issues, Wednesday proposed a new strategic partnership
with the region that he said should be kicked off with a new policy on Cuba.
The partnership idea is not new -- Sen. John Kerry proposed something
similar when he ran for president in 2004 -- but Dodd's speech before
the U.S. Naval Academy's Foreign Affairs Conference in Annapolis, Md.,
is significant because Dodd, a fluent Spanish speaker and a member of
the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is considered a heavyweight
among Democrats.
Dodd, who has endorsed presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, said
that so far U.S. policy toward Latin America has focused too narrowly on
trade, drugs and elections. He wants a new approach and says re-thinking
the Cuba policy is a good place to start.
''The Strategic Partnership for the Americas which I have just outlined,
can begin in one place- Cuba,'' said the Connecticut lawmaker and a
well-known critic of the U.S. embargo.
According to a prepared text of his speech distributed by his office,
Dodd criticized the ''failed'' drug policies of eradication and wants
the United States to focus on ``strengthening civilian law enforcement
and justice institutions, replacing black market economies with
legitimate economic investment and creating smarter anti-drug programs.''
He said a massive $1.4 billion anti-drug assistance package for Mexico
is based on the old ''war on drugs paradigm'' that will never succeed
unless Mexico's institutions improve.
He also questioned the premise that U.S. influence is waning, arguing
instead that the influence of other actors is on the rise.
''I do not suggest that Latin America is more important than Europe, let
alone China, or East Asia, or that Latin America should demand more of
our attention than other regions of the world,'' he said. ``But I will
make a case that Latin America is of critical importance to the United
States, and our continued engagement with the region is vital.''
Dodd said he wants a new strategic partnership based on three
principles: public security and the rule of law; reduction in poverty
and inequality; and energy integration and innovation.
He wants the United States to provide more support for the
Inter-American Development Bank and work with neighbors on sustainable
energy sources.
He said policy toward Cuba has been ``agonizingly static for almost 50
years.''
''I believe we must dramatically alter our posture towards Cuba, by
ending the trade embargo, lifting travel restrictions and caps on
remittances to the struggling Cuban people, and by engaging in bilateral
and multilateral talks on issues of mutual interest,'' he said.
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