Obama in Argentina to reset relations, strengthen trade ties

PanARMENIAN.Net - U.S. President Barack Obama arrived in Argentina on Wednesday, March 23, to reset diplomatic relations and strengthen trade ties with a country that was part of South America's left-wing bloc until pro-business President Mauricio Macri took power in December.

Obama's two-day visit marks a rapprochement after years of sour relations and is a sign of support for Macri's investor-friendly reforms aimed at opening up Latin America's No. 3 economy. The visit comes as once high-flying leftist governments in the region face corruption scandals and economic weakness.

Obama and his family landed in Buenos Aires shortly after 1 am and were met by Argentina's foreign minister, Susana Malcorra, before being whisked to the U.S. ambassador's residence.

The U.S. leader will hold talks with Macri on Wednesday morning ahead of a joint press conference.

French President Francois Hollande and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi also recently visited Argentina, quick to reach out to a South American leader whose predecessor forged closer ties with Venezuela, Iran and China.

Left-wing political parties have promised protests during Obama's visit, which coincides with the 40th anniversary of the coup on March 24, 1976, that installed the "dirty war" military junta.

Some are wary of too warm a detente with Washington, an early supporter of the bloody 1976-1983 dictatorship.

The United States announced last week it would declassify documents from U.S. military and intelligence agencies related to the dictatorship, a move aimed at soothing criticism over the timing of the trip. Obama will also honor the victims of the dictatorship on Thursday before flying to Patagonia.

The last U.S. president to visit Argentina was George W. Bush, who attended the Summit of the Americas in 2005, when South America's leftist "Pink Tide" was in full flow and anti-U.S. sentiment ran high across the region.