No doubt about it, U.S. President Barack Obama and his Venezuelan counterpart, Hugo Chávez, stole the spotlight at this weekend’s Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago.
Pictures of the two men smiling and shaking hands made front pages of newspapers throughout the hemisphere, and Chávez’s gift of “Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent” by Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano to Obama propelled the book to best seller status at Amazon.com.
Both men professed to want closer relations, ending nearly a decade of mutual suspicion and distrust during which Chávez once made headlines by calling former U.S. President George W. Bush “the devil” at the United Nations and accusing Washington of plotting his overthrow and assassination. Likewise, the Bush administration repeatedly charged Chávez with destabilizing the region through his populist actions.
As late as last month, Chávez, who has built his populist presidency on opposition to U.S. policies, called Obama an “ignoramus” and said he was no different than Bush. Hours after the summit, Chávez changed tack, saying he welcomed the possibility of the two countries exchanging ambassadors again—although both countries expelled senior diplomats in September.
The honeymoon may be short-lived as the new bonhomie coincides with Chávez’s increasingly aggressive attacks against his opponents and his country’s press following his electoral victory in February that paved the way for him to serve indefinitely as the country’s president.
Just as Cuba is making sounds about a loosening its grip on human rights, Chávez seems to be hardening his stance, a position that could be impossible for Obama to ignore.
In the last few weeks, Chávez has targeted opposition leaders for corruption probes, including 2006 presidential candidate Manuel Rosales, who is a former Zulia state governor. Rosales, currently the mayor of Maracaibo, could face sentencing as early as this week amid suspicions that he is the victim of a politically inspired witch hunt.
Nueva Esparta Governor Morel Rodriguez accused Chávez’s justice minister of tyring to link him with narcotraficantes in a smear campaign intended to force him from office. Earlier last year, more than 130 opposition figures were prohibited from running for office due to allegations of corruption and other crimes.
While the Chávez government investigated alleged corruption by opposition figures, it has studiously chosen to ignore charges that key ministers diverted millions of dollars of state funds. Chávez’s commitment to democracy has also been shaken by his moves to undermine opposition officeholders, especially in the five states—including Miranda and Nueva Esparta—not controlled by his United Socialist Party of Venezuela.
The National Assembly, which is overwhelmingly controlled by Chávez supporters, weakened the governors’ authority by cutting their finances and transferring hospitals, schools and police from their control.
The assembly also created a new post to oversee the Greater Caracas area right after Antonio Ledezma, a Chávez critic, was elected last December to be mayor of Greater Caracas. Chávez filled the position with a close confidant.
Opposition leaders have sought to fight back the loss of their powers by seeking to hold referenda on congressional actions or overturn them in the courts. Both courses seem likely to fail, as Chávez backers hold strong majorities in both the country’s Supreme Court and the National Electoral Council.
“The test for all of us is not only words, but also deeds,” Obama said at the concluding press conference at the summit on Sunday in Trinidad and Tobago, where he also reiterated that issues of political prisoners, freedom of speech and democracy remain paramount.
Chávez’s actions may make it difficult for the honeymoon of words to continue.
Peter Wilson has lived in Venezuela since 1992. He was formerly South American team leader and Caracas bureau chief for Bloomberg News and has written about Venezuela for BusinessWeek, Time, and The Economist.