-Clinton
WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – Iran and China are making “disturbing” gains in Latin America and Washington can no longer afford to shun leaders from nations like Venezuela and Bolivia, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said yesterday.
“The prior administration tried to isolate them, tried to support opposition to them, tried to turn them into international pariahs. It didn’t work,” Clinton told foreign service officers at a meeting at the State Department.
China, Russia and Iran were making gains in Latin America, she said, opening large embassies and creating close economic and political ties with leaders who had been hostile to Washington during the Bush administration.
“If you look at the gains particularly in Latin America that Iran is making and China is making, it is quite disturbing. They are building very strong economic and political connections with a lot of these leaders,” she said.
“We are competing for attention and relationships with at least the Russians, the Chinese, the Iranians,” she said, and it was not in the U.S. interest to turn its back on any country in the hemisphere.
The Obama administration is working to improve relations with Latin American nations, including Venezuela. President Barack Obama was photographed shaking hands with President Hugo Chavez at a summit of the Americas last month.
Clinton said Washington was also seeking better ties with Bolivian President Evo Morales who expelled the U.S. ambassador in September 2008, accusing him of conspiring against the Bolivian government. The U.S. responded in kind.
“We want to see if we can figure out how we can get an ambassador back and work with Morales in Bolivia,” Clinton said.
Venezuela expelled the U.S. ambassador last September in solidarity with its ally, Bolivia, and Washington responded by sending the Venezuelan ambassador home.
Clinton also met Chavez at the summit in Trinidad. They discussed an exchange of ambassadors, which Clinton expected would happen “at some point.”