News Analysis: Summit of Americas to highlight poor U.S.-LatAm ties

The United States' ongoing political scuffle with Venezuela and less than stellar ties with other Latin American countries are expected to take center stage at the upcoming summit of the Americas.

The Seventh Summit of the Organization of American States is set to be held on Friday and Saturday in Panama. Many Latin American governments have indicated that it is time for Washington to step up efforts to improve its poor ties with the region.

The worsening U.S. and Latin American relations have been highlighted by an executive order signed by U.S. President Barack Obama on March 9, which declared Venezuela an "unusual and extraordinary threat" to the U.S. national security.

The alarming decree against Venezuela has sparked concerns across Latin America and widespread sympathy for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, representing one of Washington's biggest regional diplomatic bungles.

Even stalwart Washington allies, like Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, said such unilateral measures were "counterproductive."

Maduro plans to march into the summit with 10 million signatures in hand calling on Washington to revoke the March 9 executive order and accompanying sanctions against Venezuelan officials.

"At the summit, we will demand President Obama repeal the executive order he signed against Venezuela, because it is a decision that violates international treaties, affects our nation's sovereignty and clearly interferes in our domestic affairs," Venezuelan Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Yanez told Xinhua.

Maduro will undoubtedly try to drum up regional support against the measures, with the help of the online signature drive, though few believe the White House will roll back the sanctions.

"The signature campaign reaffirms the massive solidarity and support the Venezuelan government has in our country, but it won't make President Obama repeal his executive order or renounce his belief that Maduro is a threat to national security," said political analyst Luis Britto.

Still, despite host Panama's efforts to promote an atmosphere of conciliation, observers believe the summit will see heated debates on the Venezuelan sanctions, particularly by Caracas' main allies in the region, including Cuba, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Bolivia and Argentina.

"The U.S. is now trying to downplay the significance of the sanctions and executive order, because of the support Maduro has received from international organizations and all Latin American countries," said political observer and journalist Alberto Aranguibel.

Given the situation, said Aranguibel, the summit "will definitely be a good time for the White House to embark on a new type of relationship with the region."

Last week, U.S. Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs Roberta Jacobson said the issue had been "blown way out of proportion."

At a Brookings Institution conference on the coming summit, she repeated the White House stance that while the language of the executive order is "infelicitous," it is essentially a boilerplate jargon required to implement sanctions.

Maduro has said he is open to dialogue or some sort of reconciliation, a step that would be big news for the two nations, as the two sides have not exchanged ambassadors since 2010.

According to Yanez, Venezuela's proposal will be to insist on a "new beginning" in ties with the U.S., based on respect for sovereignty.

"There has been an erratic interpretation by the White House of the Venezuelan reality and that will be the focus of our president's participation at the summit," he said.

Venezuelan observers expect the summit to favor Maduro, due to his influence and good relations with the region's presidents and top diplomats, as well as the ties he has established during his more than six years as foreign minister under Hugo Chavez.

Regional blocs, such as the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, which includes every country in the Americas except the United States and Canada, have issued statements condemning the sanctions.

"It seems the U.S. will once again leave the summit defeated, as happened in 2005 in Argentina, when the (U.S.-drafted) Free Trade Area of the Americas accord was buried," said Britto.

The Venezuelan government believes Obama will receive a "clear message" from Latin America that times have changed.

"The summit will mark a turning point in Latin America's ties with the United States as the region shows great unity and consensus that exists among our countries and rejects the special interest an imperialist power has in our continent," added Yanez.

At recent summits, the U.S. has found itself isolated over its stance on the Malvinas (Falklands) Islands, claimed by both Argentina and Britain, the war on drugs and, most importantly, Cuba's inclusion in the intercontinental organization.

"Washington ... has the responsibility of building peaceful and cordial ties of mutual trust (with Latin America) without double standards," said Aranguibel.

The stage is set for a historic meeting at what seems to be the most crucial moment for political relations between the United States and Latin America. Endi