U.S. President Barack Obama and Brazilian President Dilma Rouseff
*From a visit to Rio de Janeiro’s most infamous slum to a national address amid the gilded elegance of a celebrated theater, President Obama on Sunday sought to underscore the shared histories and futures of the United States and Brazil, reaching out to the people of one of the most racially diverse countries in the Americas.
But Mr. Obama, on the second day of a five-day tour of Latin America, once again seemed to sidestep mentioning his own racial background in appearances here, even as Brazilians who gathered at a plaza trying to catch a glimpse of him said that he had inspired millions in this country because of his African heritage.
“Because he knows the reality of discrimination against blacks, it would be very important for him to pass on the message that it is possible to get somewhere, to be someone, in spite of all the difficulties,” said Célio Frias, a 46-year-old businessman. “He is an inspiration.”
From their first public comments together on Saturday in the capital, Brasília, Mr. Obama and Dilma Rousseff, Brazil’s first female president, have been a study in contrasts in how they handle the historic nature of their presidencies.
Read MORE of this article at the NY Times.
Aristide back in Haiti in defiance of Obama and the United States
Obama talked to President Zuma of South Africa, saying not to bring them back to Haiti. But President Zuma defied that request and said that they would not bow to pressure.
The White House and the State Department has said that President Aristide left willingly on February 29th, 2004.
Lies.
Why is Obama covering for Bush?
It’s been seven years since he’s been in Haiti. He was taken in what he called “a modern-day kidnapping in the service of a coup d’état backed by the United States” in 2004.
AMY GOODMAN: After seven years in exile, the Aristides have returned, twice ousted in a U.S.-backed coup—in 1991, ousted for three years, then came back as president; now, in 2004, ousted again in a U.S. backed coup. The U.S. flew him to the Central African Republic. But then, a delegation led by Congressmember Maxine Waters and the TransAfrica founder, Randall Robinson—I covered this delegation—we flew to C.A.R., the Central African Republic, they got the Aristides, and they brought them back to this hemisphere, to Jamaica, but they couldn’t come back into Haiti, and ended up in exile in South Africa for seven years. Now, the President returns, not as president of Haiti, but as resident.
JAMES EARLY: “And I’m very disappointed that the government of the United States has used such diplomatic currency against this individual. It’s just absurd. It has not worked. It discredits us of being sincere in the international arena and really limits our ability to show our virtues.”
Yeah the U.S. put him in, then he didnt listen to them anymore and they ushered his butt right on out. U.S. helped Osama back in the day, then he got rogue and didnt want there help anymore. Isn’t the U.S. nice?
Good
“Because he knows the reality of discrimination against blacks, it would be very important for him to pass on the message that it is possible to get somewhere, to be someone, in spite of all the difficulties,” said Célio Frias, a 46-year-old businessman. “He is an inspiration.”
Bad
I’m not feeling so inspired, and I recruited, and voted for him.
Hell…he doesn’t talk about it “here”, so WTF should he talk about it…there!? I mean…WTF!!!???