South America

The fifth biennial summit between members of the European Union and Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) Countries was held in Lima, Peru on May 16-17, 2008. In spite of the regions’ active pursuit of tangible agreements that would address the problems of poverty and development, little progress was made. The lack of progress was a devastating blow to the legitimacy of the conference. Leaders of both regions must be held accountable for this lack of progress, and need to realize that future relations between these two regions depend on the achievement of goals set for summits like Lima.

History of the Strategic Partnership
In 1999, the first summit between member states of the EU and LAC was held in Rio de Janeiro. At Rio, forty-eight heads of state attempted to address some of the issues affecting their respective countries and to find collaborative solutions to those issues. Both regions also aspired to strengthen consensus on international issues so that they could be contentious with other international powers, especially the United States.

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This analysis was prepared by COHA Research Associate Kristin Bushby

EU Recognizes Significance of Reforms under Raúl Castro and Inefficiency of Sanctions: Will the US be as Clever?

On June 19, 2008, the European Union (EU) unanimously voted to lift its 2003 diplomatic sanctions against Cuba despite the traditional destructive negativity of countries like the Czech Republic and Sweden who affirm that Raúl Castro has not implemented sufficient reforms to warrant this measure. The sanctions limited the ability of high-level government officials to visit Cuba and participate in its cultural events while establishing amicable relations with Cuban dissidents. This decision, spearheaded by Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, aims to encourage further liberalization through dialogue that is “unconditional, reciprocal, non-discriminatory and results-oriented… in the context of the recent changes initiated by President Raúl Castro.” It calls upon Cuban authorities to protect human rights and release political prisoners while resuming economic aid to the island. In a year, the EU will review the island’s progress and, if this measure proves ineffective, they can reconsider their strategy to further encourage the democratization process.

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This analysis was prepared by COHA Research Associate Michelle Quiles