Summit of the Americas: A New Regional Narrative

Roughly 47 years after having banned Cuba from the Organizationof American States, Latin American leaders are angling to reinstate theisland nation, despite the fact that it lacks the democraticcredentials spelled out in the OAS charter.

The effort is aprominent storyline heading into the April 17-19 Summit of the Americasin Trinidad and Tobago, where 34 leaders from the hemisphere will meetto discuss the global economic crisis, energy policy and securityissues, among other things. But the meeting's narrative also includesPresident Barack Obama's first opportunity to redefine U.S.-LatinAmerican relations, which took a backseat under former President GeorgeW. Bush.

"The perception coming up from the South [is] that inrecent years, the United States has turned its attention elsewhere, hasneglected its relationships in this part of the world," JeffreyDavidow, Obama's principal adviser for the summit, told reporters thisweek. "I think this summit will give him the opportunity to meet withall the heads of state, listen to them, exchange views, and come awaywith new ideas."

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