Reaction to the election of Senator Barak Obama as President of the United States of America
Par Pier Blais
Across Latin America and the Caribbean, President-elect Barack Obama’s historic electoral victory drew praise and congratulations on Wednesday, expressions of hope for a gentler yet more engaged U.S. foreign policy and not a few rueful admissions of lingering prejudices at home. Even the presidents who regularly rail against the U.S. »empire » — Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez and Bolivia’s Evo Morales – said they stood ready to improve their strained relations with Washington after President Bush leaves office. Following are the reactions of the Paraguay’ Ambassador posted in Ottawa.
Diplomat investment: Excellency, for the South American Group in Ottawa, can you summarize us what is your feeling at the conclusion of the election of Barack Obama at the head of the USA when one knows the importance of this country in the world politics?
HEM Juan Esteban Aguirre Martinez : Senator Obama’s election is one of those magnificent moments in the history of democracy. We are privileged to actually have witnessed the growth of a people. Because his election is proof that democracy is a way of life. And that as a living process it will bring about adjustments and connections. As a process it will go through different stages. A mature electorate will seek quality of leadership, guidance wherever it may find it within the society it represents. A maturing electorate must keep the faith and preserve the exercise of its rights to a fair decision for democracy is never a given. Our region, as never before in history, stands on its own. We have become fully fledged democracies, with elected governments; respect for human rights and the rule of law are part of our governance. We have changed and we are still changing and learning.
Any concerns about our democratic ways may only be answered by the trust we place on our people who informed and free, will continue to make their own choices, connecting and adjusting then to respond to the needs and aspirations of our societies. According to you, for Latin America specifically, do you think that a quantitative and qualitative change in the relations with the United States and by extension, Canada which is the first economic partner of this country, will occur with the elected-president arrival in Washington? As a region, we have our differences and we have our conflicts. But, I dare say that we are talking to each other and learning to manage our differences and conflicts. And we are being creative in how we organize and relate to each other for this purpose and in terms of our economies, on how we bring together our infrastructure and resources. We believe Canada, especially so, and the United States, could be an active part of this ongoing dialogue.
It would be the participation of an interested party who has a lot to gain or a lot to lose if business is or is not conducted properly in the region. We will carry them if we need to or we will let them bring up the rear if they are strong and have enough commitment to our region. Mainly, we want Canada to be one of us, our member from the true North. And the United States a positive presence.
Excellency, which assessment do you make on the current Latin Canada-America cooperation?
Over the last two years, Canada has moved very fast to recover its position in the region. While maintaining its high standards of cooperation in the context of Inter American system and the Organization of American States, based on Prime Minister Harper’s visit to the region, it is now developing a new approach and strategy for the region. This initiative has seen the negotiation and signing of free trade agreements with Peru and Colombia, and new negotiations with the Dominican Republic, Panamá and the reopening of talks with the Central American countries. Together with the development cooperation provided to other countries through the Canadian International Development Agency, Canada’s footprint in the region is growing and becoming deeper. As a sign of the time and the stronger presence of Canadian investments in the region, the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade has strengthened its institutional capacity to the new demands. DFAIT now has a Deputy Minister for the Americas, a Director General, Directors for every sub-region and on for economic relations as well as a task force for Haiti. In addition, in the newly formed Cabinet of Prime Minister Harper, there is a Minister of State for the Americas. So there now is an awareness and renewed attention to the vast array of options and possibilities open and available to Canada in our region. We now need to know each other better: culturally, institutionally, in business, in trade, in how we position ourselves globally. We have one certainty: that Canada can and will prosper in working with us and that we can and will prosper working togetherwithCanada.
Biography
HEM Juan Esteban Aguirre Martinez has a Graduate Degree in Public Administration from the University of Southern California, U.S.A. and a Law Degree obtained at the Faculty of Law and Social Sciences – National University of Asunción (U.N.A.). His career started at the Ministry of National Defence as an army officer for the Paraguayan Armed Forces. After, he joined the Paraguayan Airlines (LAP) as legal assistant to the Board of Directors. He joined in 1975 the Ministry of Planning as Coordinator , International Cooperation for the UNFPA and then was subsequently National Programme Officer and International Programme Officer for Central America, Cuba, Panama and Dominican Republic – New York – USA. He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1989 and was posted as Ambassador of Paraguay to Brazil, Ambassador of Paraguay to the United States of America, Representative for Ecuador, Venezuela, Colombia and Guatemala at the UNFPA.
In 2001 he was with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO as a representative and went back to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to posted in 1999 as Ambassador of Paraguay to the United States, Washington DC and Ambassador of Paraguay to Canada. HEM Martinez has received many awards during his career, namely : Order Cruzeiro do Sul, Degree of Great Cross: Federal Republic of Brazil, Honour to National Merit, National Congress: Republic of Ecuador, Honour Merit for Education: Government of the Republic of Ecuador, For Distinguished Services, Regional Municipality, City of Quito Ecuador: Republic of Ecuador, Distinguished Services, Regional Municipality, City of Ecuador: Republic of Ecuador, Merit Order, Republic of Chile and Order to Civil Merit “Libertador Simón Bolivar”, Degree of Great Cross: Government of the Republic of Bolivia. He is married and father of four children.