Clinton in Latin America

Clinton will attend the presidential inauguration of former Uruguayan leftist rebel Jose Mujica in Montevideo and then meet with Argentina's President Cristina Fernandez in Buenos Aires before heading to Santiago for talks with Chilean President Michelle Bachelet and president-elect Sebastian Pinera, despite the state of emergency in Chile following Saturday's quake.

As well as offering further support to Chile in its time of need, the US secretary of state is expected to address relief and reconstruction in Haiti while on her tour as Latin American countries list help for Haiti as a regional priority.

In addition to coordinating and facilitating aid efforts for the stricken quake regions, Clinton will use the tour to address a number of other issues including the state of democracy in Latin American nations, trade relations, troop contributions to UN and US missions around the world and support for possible increased sanctions against Iran.

Promoting of new US acceptance of political realities

Clinton's first stop in Uruguay for Mujica's inauguration is seen by many experts as a reinforcement of US support for democracy in the region and acceptance of independent nations who wish to go pursue their own objectives while not showing animosity to the United States.

"Democracy-promotion programs in Latin America were welcome right after the Cold War," Julia Steig, a Latin America expert at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, told Deutsche Welle.

"But now that democracy has taken root in most of the region, the United States is no longer seen as necessary for it to thrive. In fact, many Latin Americans see American support for democracy as less-than-credible after informal support for the coup in Venezuela in 2002 and after failing to aggressively implement its verbal condemnation of the 2009 coup in Honduras."

US President Barack Obama raised expectations of a new relationship with Latin America when he attended the Summit of the Americas almost a year ago but direct action has been slow to follow Obama's positive words.

Progress in reengagement needs considerable boost

Experts believe that while the failure to capitalize on the optimism generated by Obama's Summit of the Americas address has led to a certain amount of skepticism and realism, Clinton will be welcomed in the countries she is visiting as there is still an interest in most Latin American countries to have good relations with the US.

However, the United States has come under increased criticism from Latin America with many countries skeptical over the rate of progress in the policy of reengagement after Obama took over from the divisive George W. Bush.

"Latin American expectations were low when Obama came in, despite his immense popularity," Steig added. "It has taken Obama a year to get a team in place and during that year there has been more continuity from the Bush era than was expected. Overall, there is disappointment but more realism in terms of what the US can actually deliver. The US is no longer seen as the cause of the region's problems or as the provider of solutions."

"Obama did also nourish the expectations Latin America had," Claudia Zilla from the Americas Research Group at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, told Deutsche Welle.

"The Obama administration took a very important first step by openly admitting that the US is jointly responsible for many regional problems like drugs and arms trade. But Latin American presidents began to criticize the Obama Administration because they felt there are no concrete initiatives and new projects for the region."

Clinton hoping to restore faith in US commitment to region

It is hoped that Clinton's six-nation tour will lay the groundwork for the resolution of problems arising from the perceived cack-handed US response to the quake in Haiti, its handling of events after last year's coup in Honduras, and the pace of diplomatic engagement with communist Cuba.

"The governments of most Latin American states are disappointed by the marginal role of their region in Obama's and Clinton's agenda," Daniel Flemes, an expert at the Institue for Latin American Studies at the German Institute of Global and Area Studies, told Deutsche Welle.

"The exceptions are Colombia, Peru, and the newly elected Chilean President Sebastian Pinera who has already indicated that he will seek close relations with Washington. In particular, the social democratic and socialist governments had expected more rapprochement toward Cuba."

Clinton can also expect criticism over the US military bases agreement with Colombia, its slowness in naming key diplomats to the region and its push for anti-nuclear sanctions against Iran.

Clinton aims to drum up support for new Iran sanctions

Iran is expected to be on the agenda when the US Secretary of State meets with Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Foreign Minister Celso Amorim in Brasilia on Wednesday.

Brazil, a member of the 15-member UN Security Council, has friendly ties with Iran, and hosted a visit by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad last year. Lula is to travel to Iran in May.

"President Lula visit to Tehran in May will legitimize the isolated Iranian regime," Flemes said. "Brazil believes that developing countries have the right to enrich uranium and this belief and the relationship with Iran is in the economic interests of Brazilian energy companies."

"It is also important to Lula da Silva's pursuit of a major role as bridge builder and peacemaker in the Middle East. So the Brazilian government does not support tougher sanctions against Iran and it is not likely that Secretary Clinton's visit will change the Brazilian view."

Clinton will fly on from Brazil to Costa Rica on Thursday where she will be the keynote speaker at the Pathways to Prosperity in the Americas ministerial meeting. She will also meet separately with Costa Rican President Oscar Arias and President-elect Laura Chinchilla.

Clinton's final stop will be in Guatemala on Friday for talks with President Alvaro Colom, as well as for a meeting with leaders of Central American countries and the Dominican Republic.

Author: Nick Amies

Editor: Rob Mudge