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What Happened to Obama's Guayabera? (Awkward, Culturally Insensitive)
Foreign Policy ^ | Monday, April 16, 2012 | Uri Friedman

Posted on 04/16/2012 12:54:14 PM PDT by nickcarraway

Something didn't happen at the sixth Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia over the weekend. Yes, Western hemisphere nations failed to reach consensus on including Cuba in the gathering, overhauling the region's drug policy (an expert taskforce will study the issue), or, really, much of anything. But I'm talking about something else: Barack Obama appears to have not worn a gauyabera -- the light tropical dress shirt that several Latin American leaders are sporting in the summit photo-op above. And there's our president, looking decidedly stuffy in a suit jacket and (admittedly open) button-down.

"Obama, loyal to his jacket. The others, in guayaberas," read a caption to a similar picture published in Venezuela's El Universal. (The article proceeds to critique the dress of several heads of state, noting that, among the female leaders, Costa Rica's Laura Chinchilla came closest to adopting the guayabera style.)

In the run-up to the summit, the daughter of Colombian designer Edgar Gómez Estévez told local media and the Spanish news agency EFE that she was making 130 guayaberas for Obama and that they would be more daring than usual because Obama was a "distinct, special, happy, and extroverted person." As far as I can tell, the White House never confirmed that Obama would be wearing a Gómez-designed guayabera.

Nevertheless, Cuba's Fidel Castro latched on to the reports, dubbing the event the "summit of the guayaberas" and criticizing the U.S. president for planning to wear a shirt that originated in Cuba while barring Cuba from attending the summit.

(Excerpt) Read more at blog.foreignpolicy.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS:
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1 posted on 04/16/2012 12:54:19 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

Why is he talking to a bunch of barbers?


2 posted on 04/16/2012 12:57:06 PM PDT by muleskinner
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To: nickcarraway

Never let them see you sweat.


3 posted on 04/16/2012 12:58:22 PM PDT by Kirkwood (Zombie Hunter)
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To: nickcarraway

See how confused he looks? He can’t decide who to bow to, too many guys to choose.


4 posted on 04/16/2012 12:58:48 PM PDT by tumblindice (Our new, happy lives.)
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To: nickcarraway

What an embarrassment.


5 posted on 04/16/2012 12:59:21 PM PDT by GlockThe Vote (The Obama Adminstration: 2nd wave of attacks on America after 9/11)
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To: nickcarraway

Well, he looks like a slob. His shirt collar is not ironed. He would have looked better in a guayabera.


6 posted on 04/16/2012 1:00:22 PM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
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To: nickcarraway
What Happened to Obama's Gay Boy?

Dont ask dont tell - PLEASE

7 posted on 04/16/2012 1:01:01 PM PDT by freedomlover (Make sure you're in love - before you move in the heavy stuff)
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To: muleskinner

I thought they were waiters.


8 posted on 04/16/2012 1:01:27 PM PDT by nixonsnose (Let's see all you lawyers argue your way out of hell.)
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To: nickcarraway

The guy in the bottom left looks like he’s thinking “damn, where’s my cell phone?”


9 posted on 04/16/2012 1:07:56 PM PDT by Hot Tabasco (Would I like to be young again? No, I worked too hard to get here, I don't want to do it again)
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To: muleskinner
Why is he talking to a bunch of barbers?

LOL!

guayabera

That's spanish for "gay barber"

10 posted on 04/16/2012 1:10:45 PM PDT by Hot Tabasco (Would I like to be young again? No, I worked too hard to get here, I don't want to do it again)
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To: Hot Tabasco
The guy in the bottom left looks like he’s thinking “damn, where’s my cell phone?”

I thought he was regretting shaking hands with Øbama.

11 posted on 04/16/2012 1:13:18 PM PDT by ConservaTexan (February 6, 1911)
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To: nickcarraway

We who live in tropical climate are grateful for our Guayabera rather than hot suit coats


12 posted on 04/16/2012 1:18:13 PM PDT by scottteng (Tax government employees til they quit and find something useful to do)
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To: scottteng

plus it covers a big gut nicely, the real reason to wear one.


13 posted on 04/16/2012 1:21:51 PM PDT by beebuster2000
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To: scottteng

Amen - I’ve thought of wearing a long-sleeved one to Presiding Court here in San Antonio one morning, just to see if we’re REALLY as laudatory and respectful of the Latin culture as we keep saying we are. I figure if the cowboy lawyers can show up in pearl buttons and a string tie, this Latin America veteran ought to be able to wear a guayabera.

Besides, they’re GREAT shirts for CCW.


14 posted on 04/16/2012 1:24:33 PM PDT by jagusafr ("Write in Palin and prepare for war...")
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To: nickcarraway

Moochelle is the person who wears the Guayabera in that family.


15 posted on 04/16/2012 1:25:53 PM PDT by dennisw
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To: nickcarraway

he looks out of place when he does and when he doesn’t


16 posted on 04/16/2012 1:36:45 PM PDT by molson209
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To: beebuster2000

guilty as charged ur honor


17 posted on 04/16/2012 1:44:55 PM PDT by scottteng (Tax government employees til they quit and find something useful to do)
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To: nickcarraway

Now I want tortilla chips and salsa.


18 posted on 04/16/2012 1:45:59 PM PDT by windcliff
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To: nickcarraway

Hey, they might be dictators, but Obama is The Dictator. You’d never catch Castro out of his costume and the same goes for the Bamster.


19 posted on 04/16/2012 1:49:40 PM PDT by SampleMan (Feral Humans are the refuse of socialism.)
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To: nickcarraway

Castro criticized him for wearing the Cuban fashion at previous events where Cuba was excluded... hurt his feelings I guess.


20 posted on 04/16/2012 1:49:43 PM PDT by lack-of-trust
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