Obama or McCain, with whom does Costa Rica benefit more?

                                  

 

Latin America was finally a theme for discussion in the US Presidential campaign when Obama and McCain both visited Miami recently.  As was expected, Cuba was the main point of discussion with both candidates renewing the traditional call to fight for the island’s liberty, if only their offerings weren’t more of the same tired rhetoric. 

McCain declared that hw would not wait around passively until Cubans came to enjoy liberty and democracy, but his was exactly that:  wait around until the Castro regime suddenly allows free elections and the existence of an opposing party.  McCain promised to maintain the currently policies toward Cuba, as if the almost 50 years of US embargo have shed any result whatsoever.

Obama’s proposal with respect to Cuba is a little bolder, but doesn’t change the status quo.  The democratic candidate would allow Cuban Americans to travel and send money to Cuba without any restrictions.  However, he also promised to maintain the embargo and prohibition against the population at large traveling to Cuba.

 

Free Trade Agreements

 

The embargo and travel prohibitions fit perfectly in the Castro regime’s demonizing of America, in keeping American people and products away from the Cuban coastline.  Unfortunately, neither a McCain nor an Obama government would change this course.

However, McCain’s general view toward Latin America is much better than Obama’s.  The Republican candidate stressed the importance of free trade agreements once again as a cornerstone of relations between Washington and the region.

He also underlined the role these agreements play in fortifying Latin American democracies and generating prosperity, renewing in this manner his call to approve the Free Trade Agreement with Colombia as soon as possible.

While Obama spoke about not treating the region as a secondary partner, he offered a series of condescending policies which strengthen the very arrogant US image which he says he wants to eradicate.  In proposing a new alliance with the Americas (Was there another alliance?), Obama offered to save Latin America from itself.  According to the candidate, Latin American populism and authoritarianism are a direct result of the US’s not involving itself enough with the region.  Obama’s thinking is that only Washington can rescue us from our own travails.

He spoke of perfecting the US while considering himself capable of attacking any fountain of fear in the Americas and declaring the liberty of necessity in the region, which is why he promised to considerably increase the aid the US provides to Latin America, in spite of the that foreign aid has a mediocre record of getting people out of poverty around the world.

 

So, which of the two candidates is better for Costa Rica?  At TicsoLand.com, we wish to keep our readers informed of the issues surrounding us.  We will leave it up to you to decide who is better for Costa Rica, TicosLand.com and your business.

Tags: barack obama, John McCain, Ticosland.com