Publication

This paper analyzes the Fifth Summit of the Americas held in April 2009. The author argues that the meeting allowed the US to resume dialogue with Latin America. Washington sought to establish a relationship 'among equals', in line with Barack Obama’s idea of moving from a policy of acting 'for' Latin America to one of acting 'with' it. The author notes that the Bolivarian discourse and the Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’s antics that are typical at this kind of gathering were overshadowed this time by Obama, who is willing to talk to everyone and re-orient relations with Cuba.