Washington Watch - 18 February 2010
Colombia: The Colombian defence minister, Gabriel Silva, completed a three-day visit to Washington DC on 11 February. He was reportedly told that the Obama administration remains firm about cutting military aid to Colombia, as outlined in the 2010 budget proposal, and that the ratification of the US-Colombia free trade agreement, currently frozen in congress, is unlikely to go ahead this year.
Guatemala: On 16 February President Alvaro Colom arrived in
Washington DC ahead of a three-day state visit. Following his arrival he met
with José Miguel Insulza, the secretary general of the Organization of American
States. He was also scheduled to meet the president of the Inter-American
Development Bank, Luis Alberto Moreno, after which he will travel to New York to
meet Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary general.
On 18 February he
will return to Washington DC to meet the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.
According to a statement from the Guatemalan presidency Colom and Clinton will
discuss issues of security and justice, anti-narcotics efforts, investmentand
climate change. Colom is accompanied by his foreign minister, Haroldo Rodas.
Haiti: On 13 February the head of the US Southern Command, General Douglas Fraser, announced that the US had reduced its number of troops in Haiti to 13,000, from the post-quake peak of 20,000. Fraser said that the need for the troops, deployed to provide humanitarian assistance and maintain security, had diminished as international aid and relief efforts had improved and stabilised. He declined to say how long he expected the remaining US troops to stay in Haiti. The US military's control over Port-au-Prince's damaged international airport has also been returned to Haitian control in daylight hours. Commercial flights are due to resume on 19 February.
Mexico: On 17 February, Janet Napolitano, the US secretary of Homeland Security, visited Mexico to discuss improving security at airports. Napolitano met President Felipe Calderón and praised Mexico as a major security partner. On aviation security, Napolitano signed a reciprocal agreement which commits the US to sharing information on all airline passengers with Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Panama, the Dominican Republic and the International Civil Aviation Authority.