Latin America rebels against U.S., Canada over Cuba’s exclusion from Americas Summit

[Judi Lynn]

Latin America rebels against U.S., Canada over Cuba’s exclusion from Americas Summit
Andrew Cawthorne and Brian Ellsworth, Reuters Apr 15, 2012 – 3:33 PM ET | Last Updated: Apr 15, 2012 3:37 PM ET

CARTAGENA, Colombia — Unprecedented Latin American opposition to sanctions on communist Cuba put more pressure on President Barack Obama at the Summit of the Americas on Sunday and threatened to further weaken U.S. and Canadian influence in the region.

Cuba has been excluded from Organization of American States (OAS) summits due to opposition from the United States and Canada.

In contrast to the rock-star status he enjoyed at the 2009 summit in Trinidad and Tobago shortly after taking office, Obama has had a bruising time at the two-day hemispheric meeting of some 30 heads of state in Colombia.

Sixteen U.S. security personnel were caught in an embarrassing prostitution scandal, Brazil and others have bashed Obama over monetary expansionism, and he has been on the defensive over calls to legalize drugs.

More:
http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/04/15/latin-america-rebels-against-canada-u-s-over-cubas-exclusion-at-summit-of-the-americas/?__lsa=e45e8e87

[Judi Lynn]

1. Darrel Issa's the "brave" Republican trying to make a profit from this politically:

Secret Service sex scandal could go deeper: congressman
Updated April 16, 2012 06:43:52

A United States congressman says more agents could be involved in a Secret Service sex scandal which has overshadowed president Barack Obama's trip to a pan-American summit in Colombia.

The Secret Service has placed 11 personnel on administrative leave as it investigates claims the men brought prostitutes to their hotel rooms in Cartagena, Colombia late on Wednesday, and had a dispute over payment with one of the women the next morning.

The scandal, which has overshadowed the Summit of the Americas gathering of regional leaders, also involves five US military personnel staying at the same hotel who have now been taken off duty and confined to their barracks amid a separate investigation.

More:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-04-16/obama-secret-service-sex-scandal/3951626?section=world

One fact finally surfaces near the end of the article:

None of the Secret Service personnel involved - both agents and uniformed officers - was assigned to Mr Obama's personal security detail.