On the Sidelines of the Summit, Leaders Seek Common Ground

Headlines covering the Sixth Summit of the Americas in Cartagena may well have focused on certain presidents’ absences, a U.S. Secret Service scandal, and the failure to reach a consensus on a final declaration, but important action took place on the sidelines. Contentious issues included Cuba’s participation, recognition of Argentina’s claim to the Falkland Islands, and a hemispheric drug decriminalization. “There are issues that are far more important to the future and wellbeing of the hemisphere (energy, security cooperation) that should have been addressed there, and around which there would have been legitimate points of disagreement,” wrote AS/COA’s Christopher Sabatini for the Americas Quarterly blog.

Some of the major advances took place during meetings between Colombian and U.S. officials. On Sunday, U.S. President Barack Obama announced that the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement will take effect on May 15. Though the U.S. Congress approved the agreement in October, Colombia had to implement a plan to protect workers’ rights in order for the trade pact to go into effect. Also on April 15, the State Department announced that temporary visas for Colombians would last for 10 years instead of five, citing an “expanding partnership,” increased tourism and business exchange, and the recently passed bilateral free-trade agreement as reasons for the change. In addition, Obama and President Juan Manuel Santos inked an agreement to expand security cooperation in Central America and West Africa, with a focus on transnational crime and drug trafficking. The two countries will build on existing joint efforts of capacity building and operational support in both Latin America and Africa.

Obama also met one-on-one with other leaders attending the summit. As Council of the Americas Vice President Eric Farnsworth told the Financial Times, Latin America “well understands it needs the U.S. for its own developmental goals but also feels it no longer needs the U.S. politically.” With Peru’s President Ollanta Humala, he discussed anti-drug trafficking efforts and educational cooperation. He met with President Mauricio Funes of El Salvador, discussing economic development projects, while Funes asked Obama for support to build an aircraft factory in El Salvador. The U.S. president held a discussion with Argentina’s President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, expressing concerns about bilateral trade.

Both Colombia and the United States launched several programs during the summit. The U.S. president announced the creation of the Broadband Partnership of the Americas, which would increase access to broadband Internet in Latin America and the Caribbean through public and private funding. Colombia led the launch of the Connecting the Americas 2022 initiative, to encourage investment in providing electricity to the 31 million citizens who lack a connection to the power grid. The United States introduced the Small Business Network of the Americas, an initiative to foster the creation of small- and medium-sized businesses in the hemisphere and to foster entrepreneurship.

Mexican President Felipe Calderón focused on security, receiving unanimous support to create an Inter-American System against Organized Crime to coordinate crime-fighting cooperation throughout the Western Hemisphere. With Mexico at the helm, the new organization is scheduled to begin operations this year. Mexico will host a series of meetings with security officials to build on existing cooperation efforts and to further integrate anti-drug trafficking plans throughout the Americas.

Andean leaders also discussed cooperation, with Chile’s President Sebastián Piñera meeting with the Peruvian and Bolivian presidents. Piñera and Humala discussed an agreement to hire a private company to remove landmines planted on the border between Chile and Peru during the 1970s. With President Evo Morales, Piñera discussed an ongoing border dispute between Bolivia and Chile dating back to the nineteenth century and which left the former country landlocked. The Chilean leader reminded his counterpart that treaties should be respected, citing an agreement that gives Bolivia access to the Pacific through Chilean ports.

While Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff took the opportunity to speak out again about monetary policy in developed countries, she was left out of a bilateral meeting with Santos, which he cancelled at the last minute. The leaders were due to discuss trade, border security, and a joint economic proposal for the upcoming G20 meeting. At the Summit’s CEO Forum, business leaders from Mercosur countries expressed concern over the Pacific Alliance’s close economic relationship to the United States—ties that leave out Mercosur countries. The Pacific Alliance, which consists of Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru, has a number of free trade agreements with the United States. 

Learn More:

• Read an AS/COA Online Explainer answering the question “What is the Summit of the Americas?”
• Access an AS/COA Online Guide to coverage of the Summit.
• Read a press release from the State Department on extending visa validity for Colombia.
• Read a statement from the U.S. Trade Representative about the U.S.-Colombia free-trade agreement going into effect.
• Read remarks from the joint press briefing from Presidents Obama and Santos on April 15.