From Miami to Panama

Latin America has changed much since the first Summit in Miami in 1994, convened then by President Bill Clinton and whose aim was to “propose” the FTAA to the Latin American people. But Latin America is no longer the “backyard” of U.S. foreign policy. A close look at the history of these meetings demonstrates how scenarios have changed in the hemisphere. This time Cuba’s presence as guest country is but another expression of the strength accumulated over the years by regional mechanisms and organism that have bet on unconditional integration, thereby entering into dispute with the inter-American mechanisms; and creating the isolation in which U.S. policy finds itself – an isolation that it is trying to break – as well as the renovation needed within the system of hemispheric relations that the new times call for.

The infographic that follows was produced by Progreso Weekly to show how the framework of each successive Summit of the Americas reflects the transformative path leading to Cuba’s presence in this week’s Summit.

Progreso Weekly authorizes the total or partial reproduction of the articles by our journalists so long as source and author are identified.