China, Iran gains in Latam “disturbing”

-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.”