LatAm leaders greet new US administration

MEXICO: Latin American leaders expressed good wishes for the new U.S. administration led by Barack Obama as the latter took office as the U.S. president Tuesday.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon told local media that he wished Obama “the biggest success” and reaffirmed his commitment to “working together with Obama to solve the problems between Mexico and the United States in a hand-in-hand manner.”

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet called Obama’s inauguration a “historic event,” noting that the new U.S. president “has awakened great expectations from the U.S. people and also millions of people in the world at a very difficult moment of the U.S. history.”

Peruvian Foreign Minister Jose Garcia Belaunde hoped the Peru-U.S. ties could be strengthened during Obama’s administration, Peru’s local radio RPP reported.

Noting Obama represents a major shift in U.S. foreign policy, the minister said bilateral relationship “is very strong, very important.”

Ecuadorian Vice President Lenin Moreno, while wishing the U.S. people and Obama “big success,” said “Obama is a moderate, calm and intelligent man.”

In a statement, he praised Obama’s 19-minute inauguration speech as a “concrete” one and said the new U.S. head of state has expectations from all over the world.

Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez sent Obama a congratulatory message, in which Vazquez said he and his country “sincerely” wished the success of Obama’s management and that the U.S. would prosper under his leadership.

MEXICO CITY, Wednesday, Xinhua