Backgrounder: Recent events in U.S.-L.
America relationship
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April 17, 2009 (Xinhua) -- U.S.
President Barack Obama (2nd L) talks with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez
prior to the opening ceremony of the Fifth Summit of Americas in Port of
Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, April 17, 2009.(Xinhua/Bolivarian News
Agency)
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PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago, April 17 (Xinhua)
-- U.S. President Barack Obama and his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez
exchanged greetings with smile outside the venue of the Fifth Summit of the
Americas here Friday.
Pictures and TV footage issued by the summit's
organizing committee showed that Obama and Chavez shook hands and exchanged
greetings with very relaxed smile minutes before the opening ceremony of the
summit on Friday evening.
Reports here said that Obama offered greetings in
Spanish, while the Venezuelan president replied in English.
Obama also reportedly offered his greetings to other
leaders participating in the summit, the first time for Obama since taking
office in January to show his administration's policy change on Latin America
from that of his predecessor George W. Bush.
A possible Obama-Chavez meeting has been one of the
watching points at the summit, although White House spokesman Robert Gibbs on
Thursday said that Obama had no plan to meet Chavez at the three-day summit in
Trinidad and Tobago.
The spokesman said Obama might not walk away if
Chavez tried to approach for a conversation. "Every time I've pulled the
president aside for a conversation, we've had that conversation, so I assume he
would do the same."
Chavez has said he hopes to "reset" the relationship
with the United States at the Americas summit.
The U.S.-Venezuela relationship has been in tensions
for near 10 years since Chavez was elected to his first presidential term in
1999. Washington has accused Chavez of anti-U.S. incitements and "impeding
progress in the region," while Chavez has repeatedly charged Washington with
plotting invasion to overthrow his government.
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Photo taken on April 17, 2009 shows the
opening ceremony of the Fifth Summit of the Americas held in Port of
Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. (Xinhua/David de la Paz)
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Gallery>>> |
Americas summit opens in Port of
Spain, "new starting point" urged
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago, April 17 (Xinhua) --
The Fifth Summit of the Americas opened here Friday, with economy, energy, the
environment, security and Cuba high on the agenda of the three-day event.
The theme of the summit, which gathered leaders from 34
countries in the hemisphere, is "Securing Our Citizens' Future by Promoting
Human Prosperity, Energy Security and Environmental Sustainability." Full story
U.S. dismisses Chavez's threat to veto
Americas summit declaration
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago, April 17 (Xinhua) --
The Obama administration dismissed threat by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to
veto a declaration of the Fifth Summit of the Americas, saying Chavez's decision
would be irresponsible and misplaced.
President Chavez, who will arrive in Port of Spain on
Friday for the Americas summit, warned Thursday that Venezuela and "other
countries" will veto the final declaration of the summit, claiming the
declaration was "misplaced in time and in space." Full story
White House: No Obama-Chavez meeting
planned
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago, April 16 (Xinhua) --
U.S. President Barack Obama has no plan to meet his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo
Chavez at the Fifth Summit of the Americas, White House said on Thursday.
"There's no one-on-one meeting with Mr. Chavez on the
schedule," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters in a briefing in
Mexico City, where Obama met with Mexican President Felipe Calderon ahead of his
departure for the summit. Full story
Obama attends summit, envisions "new
beginning" with Cuba
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago, Apr. 17 (Xinhua) --
U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to say that he envisions to seek "a new
beginning" in relationship with Cuba here Friday.
"I am not interested in talking for the sake of talking.
But I do believe that we can move U.S.-Cuban relations in a new direction,"
Obama will say, according to his prepared remarks to be delivered at the opening
ceremony of the Fifth Summit of the Americas. Full story
U.S. ready for new start in ties with
L America
MEXICO CITY, April 17 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack
Obama's ongoing visit to Mexico and his upcoming attendance at the Summit of the
Americas represent an important step in U.S. efforts to open a new chapter in
relations with Latin America.
Signs of rapprochement between top officials of the two
sides, a modest thaw in U.S.-Cuba relations and a fresh U.S. approach to the
anti-drug campaign all show that Obama appears determined to seek a new, more
collaborative U.S.-Latin American relationship. Full story
Americas leaders arrives for weekend
summit
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago, April 17 (Xinhua) --
Leaders from across the western hemisphere are arriving in Port of Spain,
capital of Trinidad and Tobago, for the Fifth Summit of the Americas slated for
Friday evening.
U.S. President Barack Obama, Canadian Prime Minister
Stephen Harper, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Venezuelan
President Hugo Chavez Frias were among the leaders who flew in the tiny oil-rich
nation in the afternoon. Full story
What's on Obama's agenda at 5th Summit
of the Americas
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago, April 17 (Xinhua) --
U.S. President Barack Obama will meet with 33 heads of state or government of
the West Hemisphere at the Fifth Summit of the Americas for the first time here
later Friday.
Although more details are still to be worked out for the
president's policy for the region, he has been developing a Latin America agenda
since running for president last year. Full story
Port of Spain braces for Americas
summit
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad
and Tobago, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of 34 countries in the western
hemisphere gather here later Friday to kick off the Fifth Summit of the
Americas.
Trinidad and Tobago, the first Caribbean country to host a
summit of the Americas, has pooled national efforts to pull off the party,
constructing the state's two tallest buildings and sprucing up the airport for
the event. Full story
Obama arrives in Trinidad and Tobago
for Summit of Americas
PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, April 17 (Xinhua) --
U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday arrived in Port of Spain, capital of
Trinidad and Tobago, for the fifth Summit of Americas scheduled from Friday to
Sunday.
Obama will address a speech on Thursday evening at the
opening ceremony of the summit, the first time for him, since his taking office
in January, to show the policy change toward the Latin America from that of his
predecessor George W. Bush. Full story
