Colombia Reports

While most of the press coverage surrounding the Summit of the Americas has focused on the pictures of Presidents Obama and Chávez shaking hands, Álvaro Uribe, without too much media attention, got himself an unplanned power lunch with Barack Obama that has marked the beginning of a new era in the bilateral relations between the United States and Colombia.

For weeks the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs carefully fueled rumors about a potential bilateral meeting between Uribe and Obama in Port of Spain. Then again, if Obama were to meet with someone, Uribe definitely deserved to be at the very top of that list.

In this very column, I stated all of the reasons for which it was necessary for Obama to meet with Uribe and jumpstart a cooling alliance.

Yet, the White House decided to avoid the politics of accepting bilateral meetings with some of the 34 American leaders, and not with others. Instead, they opted for regional meetings in which the U.S. President could meet simultaneously with multiple of his counterparts.

Uribe seemed to have lost his chance for a one-on-one and rather ended up scheduled to meet with Obama at the same time as the other South American presidents. Once again, Chávez took the spotlight while Uribe sat calmly.

But Colombia and the United States had a thing or two to discuss (think Plan Colombia, Free Trade Agreement, still being BFFs). Uribe, in what only seems to be the most overt foreign policy expression of his paisa drive, ended up sitting right next to Obama during a lunch amongst all of the nations’ leaders.

By the end of a 45-minute one-on-one conversation, Uribe had gotten what he wanted. He received his first invitation to Washington, effective immediately, and as if that weren’t enough, he got Obama to promise to visit Colombia.

Now we’re talking.

Uribe also explained to the U.S. president the three pillars of his agenda, all of which fell under the idea of confidence. To those of us who follow the Colombian president’s mandate, the fact that there were three clearly stated items defining his agenda came as a surprise. Who would’ve known it was all so simple and clear?

On a small piece of paper, and in English, Uribe wrote the three items: 1) Security with democratic values, 2) Investment with social responsibility, and 3) Social cohesion. Explanations about each one, and the way the administration’s policies reflect them would be much appreciated.

Uribe showed the paper to reporters, which Obama signed: “To President Uribe – with admiration.” Was Obama not supposed to keep that?

The unplanned power lunch with Obama that Uribe was able to sneak in his agenda at the Summit transforms the perceptions regarding the future of the relationship between the two nations.

Besides Obama, Uribe and Minister Bermúdez were also able to chat with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Additionally, the U.S. government announced that Obama has charged Trade Representative Ron Kirk to work on the Free Trade Agreement.

The new winds seems to be leading the relationship between Uribe and the Democratic U.S. president to a new era of cordiality resembling that between Andrés Pastrana and Bill Clinton.

Colombia and the Democrats had had a less than cordial relationship, particularly since the latter regained their control over the legislative branch, and after they have been hesitant to support the approval of a trade agreement for which the Uribe administration lobbied so aggressively.

Well, after a nice lunch, it seems it’s time for a new tune. A tune that plays while Obama and Uribe sit down in Cartagena, and remember that it is easier to be friends with those who like you than with those who don’t.

As the international press focuses so much attention on Venezuela, Bolivia, and Nicaragua, and on how the charming U.S. president is able to make even the worst of enemies smile, for Colombia, the message coming out of the Summit is equally important but quite different: the United States may be trying to turn foes into friends, but it still remembers who its best friends are.

Talk about a good lunch!

Author Felipe Estefan is Colombian and studies media and international relations in New York