The Summit of the Americas has ended not only without a statement but with serious doubts over how future summits will take place, as Latin American members of the Organization of American States (OAS) revolted at US efforts to continue to exclude Cuba from meetings.
In the end the US is on the defensive, with Obama pledging a new relationship with the other OAS members but a serious amount of anger leaving little doubt the summit was a dramatic failure.
The US drug war across the region was also a topic of serious discussion, with Obama insisting that legalization “isn’t a valid option” to the continued failure and massive cost of the drug war. Another issue that wasn’t resolved was the Falkland Islands, a topic prompting Argentina to storm out of the meeting.
The hottest debate was still reserved for Cuba, with the US insisting Cuba could never be allowed to play a role at future summits and a number of nations insisting they couldn’t accept any joint declaration that didn’t make a place for Cuba.
Great to see Latin America standing up to the US bullies. Nobody else does.
Good for Latin America! They seem to be the only country leaders standing up to the stupid policies and demands by the US. Good for them!
Keep diggin that grave for the American empire, Barack. It's long overdue.
Looks like our Obama was the odd man out.
With respect to Cuba, the U.S. is in denial and a bad sport because it does not want to admit that its 50-year sanctions on Cuba has failed.
The Falkland Islands belong to Argentina, and British colonizers are stealing the oil there. The U.S. would not agree because the Brits are our cousins and co-warmongers.
How about the right of self-determination of the Falkland Islanders? And don't forget there were never any indigenous people that were dispossessed unlike some countries I could name.
It's easy to talk about self-determination when the Brits took their own people to the Malvinas (aka Falklands) creating a fait accompli. After all, the British empire has done that countless ways the same way as other European plunderers (the Spanish, the French, the Belgians amd so on).
I don't agree with the Falkland islands part Nathan. The British were the first to settle there and remain the only ones there and they all want to remain a part of the U.K. Other then geographical proximity, I see no validity to Argentina's claim.
andy, would it be too much for the Brits to go back where they came from?
Then the Falklands would be uninhabited. I still don't see why that would give Argentina a claim to the place. Should the Icelanders have to leave Iceland? It was uninhabited until they settled there 1,100 years ago. In any case about 99% of Argentina's population is of European ancestry. Why do you say Argentina has the rightful claim to the Falklands?
The Malvinas were discovered in 1520 by Esteban Gómez, a crew member at the San Antonio Spanish flagship. Acccording to the papal bulls, then the lands belonged to Spain.
In 1690, John Strong, British captain, sailed along the de San Carlos strait and he called it Falkland strait as a tribute to sir Lucius Cary, second viscount of Falkland.
In 1764 The French occupied it under the leadership of Louis de Bougainville, who founded the port of San Luis in the easternmost island. The Spanish acquired this aforementioned port after a number of protests. In 1765, an english expedition arrived at the islands and called them Falkland Islands. In 1770, the English occupying forces were removed by the Spanish, which claimed their sovereignity through diplomatic channels. When the Rio de la Plata Viceroyalty was created, the Malvinas went under the administration of Buenos Aires. From 1774 to 1810, Spain named governors for the archipelago.
Moreover, in 1776, when the Rio de la Plata viceroyalty was created, the Malvinas islands were included within the territory of the Buenos Aires provincial government. After 1810, the islands were under that jurisdiction. In 1820, the Argentinian frigate La Heroína was sent to the Malvinas to take final possession of the islands. In 1825 something important happened: Great Britain recognized Argentina's independence and didn't claim the islands. In 1828, the Buenos Aires government granted Luis Vernet, in concession, Puerto soledad so that he could build a colony. For this, he took one hundred gauchos and indians from the pampas, skillful in cattle breeding.
In 1829, Vernet was named the Malvinas governor and on the same year Britain claimed its right of sovereignity over the islands. In 1833 the Empire took over the Malvinas expelling the Argentinian authorities. Since then, Argentina has never renounced its claim of sovereignity over the archipelago.
Well that is interesting. Thank you for that. It's better then just a rant about not liking British people….
Everyone like England — A law unto ourselves
backblow — “How about the right of self-determination of the Falkland Islanders?”
How about total anarchy, no national sovereignty and we all become like Israeli “settlers” and with gun in hand, claim ownership of all the uninhabited islands on earth.
The illusion of logic being that, because England got away with it during colonial days when deadly Europeans invaded and occupied most all of the American hemisphere, therefore, we exceptional white Westerners own the world.
Quite a ridiculous analogy John.
Good to see the USA not being able to bully everybody. The war on drugs should end and Cuba should be having normalized relations with America.
Another problem that could have easily been solved by excluding the US.