Is this what we have to look forward to in Latin American policy?

In an interview shown in the past week on the Spanish-language network Univision, U.S. President-elect Barack Obama said that Venezuela’s firebrand president, Hugo Chávez, has hindered progress in Latin America, and he expressed concern that Chávez’s leftist government has assisted Colombia’s biggest guerrilla movement, a group the United States considers a terrorist organization. Chávez responded this weekend by saying that Obama had “the same stench” as President Bush, a frequent target of Chávez’s remarks.

The interview with the president-elect, shown in two segments that aired Sunday and last Tuesday, included Obama’s most extensive comments to date about Venezuela, Cuba and Mexico — countries that are expected to require swift attention from the new administration. Mexico is convulsed by drug violence that is spilling into the United States; Cuba’s longtime leader, Fidel Castro, is suffering from a serious undisclosed illness; and Chávez’s government is reinforcing ties with such U.S. adversaries as Iran and, authorities in Bogota say, Colombian rebels.

Obama said his administration is open to starting talks with Chávez to improve relations, which have frayed badly since the Bush administration celebrated Chávez’s brief overthrow at the hands of rebellious military officers in 2002. But in the 13-minute interview aired by Univision, Obama said Chávez had “been a force that has interrupted progress in the region.”

Ok I have read all this stuff and feel I need to comment……interrupted progress?  what the hell does that mean?  If he is talking aboput the screwing that American corporations took then , it depends on your way of thinking.  If you are talking about the programs that Chavez has started to aid the poor then I would say that it was not interrupted.  Is Chavez a tool?  Most assuredly.  Have the poor of Venezuela profited from his presidency?  Absolutely.

Maybe he, Obama, should wait until he is the official president before he starts alienating other countries.  Just a thought.

Maybe people should realize that Latin America is a two class system…..wealthy and poor, the middle class does not exist Chavez has done some amazing things for the poor, but in the same breath I have to say that he will be a thorn in Obama’s side.  But unfortunately, he has to be dealt with.  And dealings most be done with the poor of the country in mind.