Posted on 03/10/2006 8:07:03 AM PST by Crackingham
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who plans to attend the inauguration of a socialist in Chile this weekend, says the United States has no quarrel with leftist leaders in Latin America as long as they govern well.
"This is a wonderful moment, the inauguration of the Chilean president, a woman president," Rice told a group of Latin American, Asian and Australian reporters Thursday, a day before she began a trip to those places.
She was far less enthusiastic about Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who frequently calls President Bush a terrorist. But she said the United States wants good relations with Bolivia's new president, a former coca-growers union boss who once vowed to be "Washington's nightmare."
Rice plans to attend Saturday's inauguration in Valparaiso of Chilean President-elect Michelle Bachelet, a pediatrician who is the first Latin American woman to be elected president without a powerful husband.
Rice will meet with Bolivian President Evo Morales when both attend the Bachelet inauguration. It will be their first meeting, and one closely watched in Latin America, where Bachelet and Morales are the latest leftist politicians to win democratic elections.
"The United States has no trouble, no difficulty, dealing with countries from either side of the political spectrum," Rice said, citing Chile and Brazil as left-of-center governments that have good economic and other ties with Washington.
"The issue for us is that when you're elected democratically that you govern democratically," Rice said.
That was a jab at Chavez, who the White House says has eroded democratic norms in that country and made anti-Americanism the centerpiece of his foreign policy.
"I have no plans to see the Venezuelan president," Rice said.
So what are your thoughts? Is this a good thing or a bad one?
SO the bombing should start when?
She is playing her role as the Chief Diplomat and we do not want to have tense relation with Chile because they elected a socialist President.
I'm not sure that last is true.
Chile, for example, is a lot better off today, than Cuba, for instance.
If you leave up to some freepers over 70% of the world must be nuked by tomorrow at 10:00 AM.
And then they'd want a government program to make the resulting radioactive breeze go away.
I think Michelle Bachelet could probably be worse, but Evo Morales is a Chavez style nutcase who believes that his country can live on coca production and is doing everything possible to destroy its economy. I hope Rice is very careful there - just yesterday, Evo sent his goons to attempt to arrest the executives of a Spanish-Argentinian petroleum company (a subsidiary of the Spanish company Repsol) and is probably working up to a seizure of its assets. He visited Spain a couple of months ago while I was there and was a laughing stock for his peculiar behavior and hostile statements, even to the lefty Zapatero, who loves him.
To my knowledge, Michelle Bachelet got into power fairly honestly, in a run-off after two of the more conservative parties fell apart. Evo Morales' "election," however, was the product of years of carefully orchestrated left-wing civil unrest and union violence that managed to overturn a genuinely democractic government and disrupt the progress that had been made towards a functioning economy.
See my post #9 for a few more details.
By noon, they'll be complaining that the U.S. gets no respect.
"She is playing her role as the Chief Diplomat and we do not want to have tense relation with Chile because they elected a socialist President."
>>>>>>>>>>...................
well we had a president who said " tear down this wall"
and look what happened..in diplomacy too much is made of appearance..it would be better for HER to tell them they are headed in the wrong direction and when they stop doing so they will get our help. not before. no need to bomb but also no need to pander.
The people of Chile elected their President despite that we greatly disagree with socialism. What do you expect Rice to say “People of Chile you make the wrong decision and now go ahead make a coup d’etat and put forth another President who is not a socialist”. President Reagan was telling the Soviet leader to destroy the wall of tyranny and suppression on their people and I do not think the Chilean people are suffering from what the Soviet people had suffered from under communism. You are badly applying President Reagan famous statement to this situation here.
"I do not think the Chilean people are suffering from what the Soviet people had suffered from under communism."
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.............
give it time, socialist must concentrate power, the future of Chile is at risk..If you are asking me to trust HER you are asking the wrong person. Cambodia was one of the most peaceful countries in the world and we all known the sad history there..Hoping things go well in Chile and South America, but sleeping with snakes is a dangerous habit.
Just one question... How much of my tax dollars (US Foreign Aid) are going to be given to this "friendly little" socialist government?
Diplomacy is the art of saying NICE DOGGIE, while reaching for a rock to kill it with.
Diplomacy is the art of saying NICE DOGGIE, while reaching for a rock to kill it with.
typical for the President's failed foreign policy.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.