Reply #9: As I said, I don't think the interview is entirely clear, but it appears to me that Correa [View All]

[Peace Patriot]

is making an important distinction between "the U.S." and President Obama. He is saying that "the U.S." (that is, our real rulers--the war profiteers in the Pentagon, U.S.-based global corporate predators and their supporting rightwing forces here)--could have put down the Honduran coup in 48 hours, but didn't want to, and that Obama doesn't have the power to overrule them, on that issue, and on the issue of the big U.S. military buildup in Colombia (and other aggressive actions--he mentions the U.S. reconstitution of the 4th Fleet ). He thinks Obama is sincere in wanting a peaceful, respectful U.S. policy toward Latin America, but doesn't have the power to implement it.

I am not sure I would give Obama such a charitable assessment, at this point. I am no longer sure of his good intentions. And if he has good intentions, I am not at all sure that he has the power to implement them. I agree with Correa on that. Obama's Secretary of State just threatened the leftist governments of Latin America for daring to establish diplomatic relations with Iran, ignoring the fact--as Correa points out--that Colombia has had relations with Iran for years. She said they should be concerned about "consequences"! What the hell is she doing saying something like that? It was not only threatening, it was gratuitously insulting--not to mention hypocritical. Does Obama approve of threatening and insulting Latin American countries? I don't know. That is not his stated policy, but that is what is happening--on pretty much all fronts. The Pentagon is surrounding Venezuela's main oil region with numerous new U.S. military bases, which also threaten Ecuador; and a U.S. client state, Honduras, has just suffered a violent rightwing military coup, with inexplicably powerful, Bushwhack politicians openly supporting this coup and subverting the President's stated policy on it, the Pentagon aiding the coupsters in removing the elected president from the country, and Obama's Sec of State conniving to prolong the coup.

Who is in charge of U.S. foreign policy in Latin America? I really don't know.