The purpose of the visit would be to deliver strong messages of rapprochement to the region, basically to the largest economies (Brazil and Mexico) and to Chile as the outstanding model of economic and social development. Besides it would look to counteract the Republican candidate John McCain visit to Colombia.
The news was born last week when Chilean ambassador Mariano Fernandez in Washington was invited to the Lower House Foreign Affairs Committee, where apparently the initiative was confirmed by several Democrat members of Congress.
Apparently the Obama team also consulted with Senator Chris Dodd and New Mexico governor Bill Richardson who are considered experts in the area, about which countries to visit and that was when the three names were mentioned.
Furthermore State Department sources confirmed that the Obama team was working on the tour and informal contacts with the Chilean embassy in Washington had already been established.
The Santiago press revealed that the Obama team includes in social affairs a Chilean national Daniel Sepúlveda, from the University of Texas who is also an expert in Chilean affairs plus the fact that a recent edition of Time included Chilean president Michelle Bachelet as one of the one hundred most influential figures of the world, – the outstanding woman leader of Latinamerica -, on suggestion from Hillary Clinton.
Chilean sources in Santiago said that such a visit would be most welcome since Chile and United States have free trade agreements and the Democrat candidate, close to US the labor unions, on the electoral trail has said that if elected president he would review all treaties of this nature signed by the US.
Mercopress