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Canada, the Americas and the Caribbean
On the occasion of the first major tour of the hemisphere by a Canadian Prime Minister in over a decade, this issue of FOCAL POINT aims to take stock of bilateral relations with the countries visited by Stephen Harper—and also Brazil where Governor General Michaëlle Jean has paid a state visit—and analyze the prospects and opportunities for a strong and positive Canadian engagement to in the region.
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Op-Ed For a Bolstering of Canada’s Leadership in the Americas
Prime Minister Harper’s summer visits in the hemisphere are welcome and significant for two related reasons. First, Canada has real interests and potential influence in the region, which will gradually atrophy if ignored, and could flourish with serious attention. Second, the Harper government’s international focus has, so far, been extremely limited—even the important engagement in Afghanistan draws principally on the USA as a partner, and the military as an instrument. This is the first hint of a broader perspective. So, one of Mr. Harper’s challenges will be to demonstrate that he is acting independently of Washington.Canada and the Colombian Conflict: Perspectives and Opportunities
The Colombian conflict, the only remaining theatre of internal warfare in the Americas, constitutes the last exception in a hemisphere where peace has historically prevailed over armed confrontation. It is a conflict where two wars coexist: one against an array of insurgent groups and another against the illegal drug trade. This has facilitated, on the one hand, the continued existence of a guerrilla movement spawned by the Cold War; on the other hand, it has provided fertile ground for the emergence and consolidation of a booming illegal drug industry. The respective natures of both wars and of the international system have made it enormously difficult to contain the conflict within Colombia’s territorial boundaries. In fact, the tendency toward internationalization, both of the conflict and of the numerous efforts to achieve peace, has been notorious.
Brazil and Canada: Convergent Interests
The involvement of Brazil and Canada in topics of international politics is a relatively recent, or tardy, phenomenon in the history of both countries. Up to the first half of the 20th century, Canada occupied a comfortable position in the world through its expressive participation in the Commonwealth and its growing relationship with its only bordering neighbour, the United States of America. Canada kept a distant yet benevolent eye on South America.
Chile-Canada Relations: Forging a Common Experience
Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s upcoming visit to Chile constitutes an event of paramount importance in Chile-Canada relations, which have been characterized by great dynamism since the reestablishment of democracy in 1990. The historical visit will take place on the year of the 10th anniversary of the implementation of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries, the negotiation of which represented an enormous technical and diplomatic challenge for the budding Chilean democracy after the country was kept politically isolated from the rest of the world by a repressive and authoritarian regime (1973-1990). For the Chilean authorities, the experience gained then proved invaluable in later negotiations with the USA and the European Union which culminated in free trade agreements that remain key instruments for the development of exports, a mainstay of the Chilean economy. Without a doubt, the FTA with Canada has had a positive impact on the economic exchange between both countries, with Chilean exports reaching US$1.291 million and Canadian imports reported at US$480 million. Likewise, Canada has made important investments in Chile, particularly in the mining industry, one of the key sectors in the Chilean economy.
Canada’s Developmental Role in the Caribbean
Canada is one of the leading contributors of aid to the Caribbean and this aid has been vital to the development of the region. Canadian aid programmes focus on a variety of areas including trade cooperation, private sector development and security—all of which acknowledged by the Caribbean as important to the region’s future development. The Caribbean is often discussed in tandem with Latin America, but this is often not useful. The Caribbean states face unique challenges and as such it is important to delineate their particular problems in order to develop a programme of action. In discussing the potential for increased relations between Canada and the Caribbean it is also important to point out that the Caribbean is not a homogenous region. Depending on the definition used it comprises over 20 states and ranges from Haiti, which is one of the poorest countries in the world, to the Bahamas and Barbados—both of which rank high on the human development index. Any developmental strategy designed for the Caribbean must therefore be sensitive to this fact. For the most part Canada has recognized these differences as seen in the fact that Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) has specific programmes for Commonwealth Caribbean states, and that these programmes are different from those initiated for Cuba and Haiti. However, as noted before, even the Commonwealth Caribbean states have different developmental concerns.
Haïti-Canada, quel futur?
« Moun an deyò » (gens du dehors) est le label que le citadin haïtien afflige à son congénère paysan dont la démarche, l’accoutrement et le parler trahissent qu’il est d’un autre monde, d’un monde « en dehors ». L’importance démographique de ces « morniers » (habitants des mornes) qui constituent les trois quarts de la population haïtienne a inspiré à Gérard Barthélemy l’expression de « pays en dehors » pour parler de cette majorité « autre », qui a toujours été privée de la plupart des services de base que l’État reconnaît comme un devoir de dispenser à ses citoyens.
Facts and Figures
Latin American Views of Canada's Role
Table 1 Overall Perceptions
Table 2 Perceptions by Income