{"id":12290,"date":"2014-12-30T16:24:38","date_gmt":"2014-12-30T21:24:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/panamaadvisoryinternationalgroup.com\/blog\/?p=12290"},"modified":"2014-12-30T16:24:38","modified_gmt":"2014-12-30T21:24:38","slug":"how-panama-changed-history-in-the-americas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/panamaadvisoryinternationalgroup.com\/blog\/how-panama-changed-history-in-the-americas\/","title":{"rendered":"How Panama changed history in the Americas"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"cuba_venezuela_horiz.jpg.size.xxlarge.letterbox\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Cuban President Raul Castro, left, shakes hands with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro before the ALBA summit at Revolution Palace in Havana on Sunday. Some observers think fear of losing Venezuelan oil at very generous terms partly drove Castro to work out a deal with the United States.<\/em><\/p>\n

To go to Panama or not to go to Panama \u2014 that was the question. After all, Cuba\u2019s president would be there. Now U.S. President Barack Obama will be there, too.<\/p>\n

By:<\/strong> Oakland Ross<\/span> Feature Writer,<\/span> Published on Fri Dec 19 2014<\/span><\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

Thank Washington. Thank Havana. But also thank Panama City.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Jorge Dominguez does.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

The Harvard University Latin America scholar says it was a bold but largely unacknowledged master stroke by newly elected Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela that sparked this week\u2019s stunning announcement that Cuba and the United States mean to restore diplomatic relations, after more than five decades of bitter hostility.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cPanama said, \u2018We\u2019re going to do it \u2014 and tough luck,\u2019 \u201d says Dominguez.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

He is referring to Varela\u2019s decision this past October to invite Cuban President Raul Castro to attend a hemispheric summit scheduled for next April in the Central American country.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

That move put the ricocheting ball of regional diplomacy firmly in Washington\u2019s court.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

There have been several previous such meetings, known as Summits of the Americas, but the host leaders in every case have bowed to U.S. wishes and kept Cuba off the guest list.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Varela chose a more daring course.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n