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The fifth Summit of the Americas, to be held in Trinidad, brings the leaders of 34 nations in the western hemisphere together to discuss issues pertinent to the region. On the agenda this year are talks concerning the economic crisis and plans for recovery, regional trade issues, and energy and environmental policies. However, Cuba, the only nation in the hemisphere to be excluded from the talks, and its relationship with the United States has stolen the spotlight after Barack Obama lifted travel and money-gift bans on Americans with family in Cuba.
The decision came early in the week and repealed the half-century ban on travel and money transfers to the island for Cuban-Americans that still have family members living in Cuba. The announcement was followed by an op-ed, written by President Obama, that explained:
This week, we amended a Cuba policy that has failed for decades to advance liberty or opportunity for the Cuban people. In particular, the refusal to allow Cuban Americans to visit or provide resources to their families on the island made no sense - particularly after years of economic hardship in Cuba, and the devastating hurricanes that took place last year. Now, that policy has changed.
Obama went on to say that the problems we now face require new strategies. He argued that:
To confront our economic crisis, we don't need a debate about whether to have a rigid, state-run economy or unbridled and unregulated capitalism—we need pragmatic and responsible action that advances our common prosperity.
Fortunately, energy and environmental issues have not been totally overshadowed by this historic development. In the same op-ed, Obama stated that "while we confront this crisis, we must build a new foundation for long-term prosperity. One area that holds out enormous promise is energy." Developing a renewable-energy infrastructure, Obama argued, would create jobs throughout the hemisphere and help combat climate change and global warming.
During a meeting in Mexico City preceding the summit, Obama and Felipe Calderon discussed efforts to create green jobs, control carbon emissions, and curbing climate change. They also announced plans for the two countries to develop a U.S.-Mexico Bilateral Framework on Clean Energy and Climate Change that would "focus on renewable energy, energy efficiency, adaptation, market mechanisms, green jobs, and low carbon energy technology development and capacity-building."
Hopefully this action can set the tone for the fifth Summit of the Americas and help promote a hemisphere-wide effort to create green jobs, build a renewable infrastructure, and confront climate change.
Find out more about environmental politics and issues in Focus Earth: April 18, 2009: Fifth Summit of the Americans and State of World Primates .
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