Excerpts on Latin America from Clinton confirmation hearing
Yesterday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held its hearing to confirm Senator Hillary Clinton's nomination as the Obama administration's Secretary of State. During the hearing, Clinton focused on such topics as the conflicts in the Middle East, energy independence, and more mundane issues like potential conflicts of interest with Bill Clinton's international foundation. The United States' relationship with Latin America got significantly less attention, but did manage to find a place in Clinton's opening statement, as well as in response to questions by members of the Committee. In addition to language about the importance of a renewed partnership and friendship between the United States and Latin American countries, Clinton spoke on President-elect Obama's commitment to lifting the bans on family travel and remittances to Cuba, the need for energy independence in the hemisphere and the importance of trade. Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez and Bolivian President Evo Morales also made it into her testimony as examples of "providers of energy" that are sources of "problems in our own hemisphere." Below are Latin America-related excerpts from Clinton's remarks at the confirmation hearing. The entire transcript of yesterday's confirmation hearing is available on the New York Times website. Entire Region: "Throughout our hemisphere, we have opportunities to enhance our relationships that will benefit all of us. We will return to a policy of vigorous involvement, partnership even, with Latin America, from the Caribbean to Central America to South America. We share common political, economic, and strategic interests with our friends to the south, as well as many of our citizens who share ancestral and cultural legacies. We're looking forward to working on many issues during the Summit of the Americas in April and taking up the president-elect's call for a new energy partnership around shared technology and new investments in renewable energy." "It is a tremendous opportunity, and I look forward, on behalf of the president-elect and working with members of Congress who have a particular concern and interest in Latin America, to making it abundantly clear that the Obama administration is seeking partnerships and friendships across Latin America. We're looking forward with great anticipation to the Summit of the Americas that will be held in April. We want to, you know, not only respond to the issues that are in the headlines, as the president-elect did yesterday with President Calderon -- issues of security, issues of criminality and narco- trafficking and the like. But we want to seize the opportunities in Latin America, which is why the energy partnership that the president- elect has suggested that's so much potential. The countries of Latin America are really our closest allies. If you look at trade, if you look at familial relationships, you can see all of these connections. And I think that we're going to put a new face on American diplomacy as we reach out to Latin America. That is particularly a mission of mine ..." "[The need for energy independence is] one of the reasons why the president-elect has talked about an energy partnership for Latin America, looking to find ways through technology and other activities we can work together to become more energy independent in this hemisphere. And, of course, we have problems in our own hemisphere with some of the providers of energy, like Hugo Chavez. So -- and, you know, President Morales. We have problems even in this hemisphere with countries feeling, you know, somewhat worried about what will happen with their energy supplies." Cuba: "The president-elect is committed to lifting the family travel restrictions and the remittance restrictions. He believes, and I think it's a very wise insight, that Cuban-Americans are the best ambassadors for democracy, freedom and a free market economy. And as they are able to travel back to see their families, that further makes the case as to the failures of the Castro regime -- the repression, the political denial of freedom, the political prisoners -- all of the very unfortunate actions that have been taken to hold the Cuban people back. You know, our policy is, first and foremost, about the freedom of the Cuban people and the bringing of democracy to the island of Cuba. We hope that the regime in Cuba, both Fidel and Raul Castro, will see this new administration as an opportunity to change some of their typical approaches. Let those political prisoners out. Be willing to, you know, open up the economy and lift some of the oppressive strictures on the people of Cuba. And I think they would see that there would be an opportunity that could be perhaps exploited. But that's in the future, whether or not they decide to make those changes." Mexico: "In our efforts to return to economic growth here in the United States, we have an especially critical need to work more closely with Canada, our largest trading partner, and Mexico, our third largest. Canada and Mexico are also our biggest suppliers of imported energy. More broadly, we must build a deeper partnership with Mexico to address the shared dangers arising from drug trafficking and the challenges along our border, an effort begun this week with the meeting between President-elect Obama and President Calderon." Haiti: "I share your concern about Haiti. It is, as you say, one of the poorest nations in the world -- the poorest in our hemisphere. I hope that we can have a comprehensive approach that could alleviate the suffering the people of Haiti. And I look forward to working with you on that."