Recall that during the debates President Obama promised to meet with leaders like Hugo Chavez, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Kim Jong-Il, Bashar Assad, and Castro (one of them) “without preconditions” within his first year as president. When criticized for that remark, Obama insisted that, while he wouldn’t require “preconditions”, he wouldn’t meet without “preparations”. Of course, he couldn’t really distinguish between the two.
Well, now he’s meeting with Hugo Chavez.
United States President, Barack Obama will have a face-to-face meeting with his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez in April in Port of Spain, when the two leaders will be among three dozen heads of government and state at the three day Summit of the Americas.
This information was confirmed by Summit Secretariat Communications Co-ordinator, Felipe Noguera.
Top of the agenda of the Summit will be burning energy issues in which both the United States and Venezuela have a keen interest.
The Trinidad Express reported that Noguera told newsmen that Secretariat Chairman, Ambassador Carlos Luis Alberto Rodriguez indicated that Venezuela and the USA were at loggerheads on energy issues to be highlighted in the Declaration of Port of Spain. The declaration — outlining policy goals in coming years for the 34 countries in the Americas in the fields of energy, education, environment and health — will be signed by the leaders during the April 17-19 summit.
So exactly what “preparations” have taken place, besides hotel room reservations, that permit this face-to-face meeting to take place? Perhaps a condemnation of FARC by Chavez? Nope. Promises by the Venezuelan leader to stop funding the terrorist group? Nada. President Obama said “preparations” would need to take place. Have they?
Ed Morrissey has emailed the White House for comment. I’ll update if he gets it.
by Stephan Tawney on Mon, Feb 2, 2009