What do Lula and Obama have in Common?

What do Lula and Obama have in Common?

Summary:Last Friday, May 23rd, both Lula and Obama announced new initiatives. It would be great if they were looking at a common future…. But unfortunately, that was not the case. While Obama put out a new vision for the U.S. in the Americas, feet on the ground, Lula showed his customary propensity to engage in fairy tale diplomacy.

On Friday presidents and representatives of South America’s 12 countries got together in Brasilia to sign a treaty creating the “União das Nações Sul Americanas” (Unasul in Portuguese or Unasur in Spansh). The aim is to deepen regional integration, by political, economic and social regional coordination. The objectives include specific actions in the energy, telecommunications, and financial sectors. Moreover, discussions include the creation of a South American Defence Council, something dear to Lula’s heart since Colombia invaded Ecuador in an attempt to stop FARC from using it as a base.  

In tandem with the grandiose ideas espoused by many South American leaders, Unasur is supposed to be an international institution. However, for that to take place, the accord must be ratified by nine of the twelve countries. If history is any indication, securing consensus in nine different congresses will be nothing short of impossible.    This is an organization that seems to have been born moribund.

Colombia was supposed to take on the presidency, but declined, passing the mandate to Chile. In turn, Chile is interested in discussing energy integration, which no one else is ready to do. Bolivia, who could help its neighbours’ energy equations seems more interested in discussing the “union of the people”; while Colombia will only sign on the Defence Council if there is consensus in declaring FARC a terrorist organization. Chances of Mr. Chavez agreeing to that seem slim. And, adding fuel to the fire, Ecuador’s Rafael Correa continues to squabble with Colombia’s Alvaro Uribe over accusations of Ecuador harboring terrorists. With such bad blood all around, Peru’s president Alan Garcia excused himself and was off back home shortly after the ceremony, without even waiting for dinner.

  Now…what can I say? At least he won’t get indigestion….. 

In contrast to the predictable South American circus, Barack Obama delivered the broad strokes of his policies towards the Americas. You can find his speech at http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/samgrahamfelsen/gGCMCY- and do take the time to hear and see Mr. Obama in action… he is an impressive orator.

While I understand that he was speaking to a Cuban audience and as such, in an electoral year, needs to cater to them, this is the most detailed vision of a policy framework towards the Americas coming out of a North American leader. It sure would be nice if Mr. Harper had this kind of vision….. particularly in regards to energy.  

As you are well aware, I have been writing and advocating for an energy agenda for the Americas for quite some time. So you can imagine my delight and surprise to see Barack Obama saying: 

“All of us feel the impact of the global energy crisis. In the short-term, it means an ever-more expensive addiction to oil, which bankrolls petro-powered authoritarianism around the globe, and drives up the cost of everything from a tank of gas to dinner on the table. And in the long-term, few regions are more imperiled by the stronger storms, higher floodwaters, and devastating droughts that could come with global warming. Whole crops could disappear, putting the food supply at risk for hundreds of millions.

While we share this risk, we also share the resources to do something about it. That’s why I’ll bring together the countries of the region in a new Energy Partnership for the Americas. We need to go beyond bilateral agreements. We need a regional approach. Together, we can forge a path toward sustainable growth and clean energy.   

Leadership must begin at home. That’s why I’ve proposed a cap and trade system to limit our carbon emissions and to invest in alternative sources of energy. We’ll allow industrial emitters to offset a portion of this cost by investing in low carbon energy projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. And we’ll increase research and development across the Americas in clean coal technology, in the next generation of sustainable biofuels not taken from food crops, and in wind and solar energy.”

Well, well…this is music to my ears….at least there are some partnership ideas that are worth paying attention to….. what do you think?