5th Summit of the Americas

The Fifth Summit of the Americas (VSOA) was held at Port of Spain in Trinidad and Tobago, on April 17–19, 2009.[1]

5th Summit of the Americas
5th Summit of the Americas logo
Host countryTrinidad and Tobago
DatesApril 17–19, 2009
Venue(s)Hyatt Regency Trinidad
CitiesPort of Spain
Participants33
Follows4th Summit of the Americas
Precedes6th Summit of the Americas
Websitehttp://www.fifthsummitoftheamericas.org/

Organizers planned for the Fifth Summit to focus on a wide-ranging theme: "Securing Our Citizens' Future by Promoting Human Prosperity, Energy Security and Environmental Sustainability."[2]

Overview

The Summits of the Americas are a continuing series of summits bringing together the leaders of North America, Central America, the Caribbean and South America. The function of these summits is to foster discussion of a variety of issues affecting the western hemisphere. These high-level summit meetings have been organized by a number of multilateral bodies under the aegis of the Organization of American States. In the early 1990s, what were formerly ad hoc summits came to be institutionalized into a regular "Summits of the Americas" conference program.[3]

Agenda

Group photo of leaders attending Port-of-Spain summit.
Partial group photo of leaders at the closing Port-of-Spain summit.

The host nation's task in organizing the summit programme was a multi-faceted challenge.[11]

The top issue at the summit was the current economic crisis, which also encompassed issues of access to increased credit and lending from multilateral banks, sub-regional banks and international development banks. Other issues included promoting human prosperity, energy security and environmental sustainability.[12]

Regional leaders had their first face-to-face meeting with United States President Barack Obama at the summit.[13]

Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez used his first meeting with President Obama to argue in favor of lifting the US-led embargo of Cuba. Chávez also used the occasion to publicly present Obama with a copy of Eduardo Galeano's 1971 book Open Veins of Latin America.[14]

Security

The host country's Office for Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) planned to ensure that they would be prepared to deal with the consequences of natural or man-made hazards which might impact the delegates during the Summit of the Americas. The Ministry of National Security and OPDM worked together in anticipation of over 4,000 visitors.[15]

Other American nations made security forces available during the international event. Premier of Bermuda Ewart Brown offered to request 35 soldiers of the Bermuda Regiment to be sent,[16] but the offer was declined as unnecessary.[17] In preparation for the summit, the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) and the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) sent 124 officers for a three-week training program in Trinidad. The Jamaican contingent was briefed and given all the necessary resources and equipment, and they were expected to bring back to Jamaica any good ideas and best practices which might be observed during the operation.[18]

Heads of State and Government

Summary of Leaders
Flag and CountryHead of State / Government
 Antigua and BarbudaPrime Minister Baldwin Spencer
 ArgentinaPresident Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
 BahamasPrime Minister Hubert Ingraham
 BarbadosPrime Minister David Thompson
 BelizePrime Minister Dean Barrow
 BoliviaPresident Evo Morales
 BrazilPresident Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
 CanadaPrime Minister Stephen Harper
 ChilePresident Michelle Bachelet
 ColombiaPresident Álvaro Uribe
 Costa RicaPresident Óscar Arias
 DominicaPrime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit
 Dominican RepublicPresident Leonel Fernández
 EcuadorPresident Rafael Correa
 El SalvadorPresident Tony Saca
 GrenadaPrime Minister Tillman Thomas
 GuatemalaPresident Álvaro Colom
 GuyanaPresident Bharrat Jagdeo
 HaitiPresident René Garcia Préval
 HondurasPresident Manuel Zelaya
 JamaicaPrime Minister Bruce Golding
 MexicoPresident Felipe Calderón
 NicaraguaPresident Daniel Ortega
 PanamaPresident Martín Torrijos
 ParaguayPresident Fernando Lugo
 PeruPresident Alan García
 Saint Kitts and NevisPrime Minister Denzil Douglas
 Saint LuciaPrime Minister Stephenson King
 Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesPrime Minister Ralph Gonsalves
 SurinamePresident Ronald Venetiaan
 Trinidad and TobagoPrime Minister Patrick Manning
 United States of AmericaPresident Barack Obama
 UruguayPresident Tabaré Vázquez
 VenezuelaPresident Hugo Chávez

Notes

  1. Summit Americas Archived 2009-06-25 at the Wayback Machine: V summit (5th) Archived December 2, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  2. 5th Summit of The Americas (VSOA)
  3. Twaddle, Andrew C. (2002). Health Care Reform Around the World, p. 382.
  4. Florida International University, Summit of the Americas Center Archived May 27, 2009, at the Wayback Machine (SOAC): Summits list Archived April 27, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  5. Summit Americas: I summit (1st) Archived 2011-06-12 at the Wayback Machine
  6. Summit Americas: Sustainable development Archived September 2, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  7. Summit Americas: II summit (2nd)
  8. Summit Americas: III summit (3rd)
  9. Summit Americas: Special
  10. Summit Americas: IV summit (4th) Archived June 12, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  11. Tack, Clint Chan. "Summit programme takes shape," Newsday (Trinidad & Tobago). February 15, 2009.
  12. "Economy will be top issue at 5th Americas Summit," Xinhua. March 14, 2009.
  13. Brooks, Lovelette. "Summit of the Americas: Carib issues for Obamam" Archived 2009-03-24 at the Wayback Machine Jamaica Gleaner News (Kingston). March 22, 2009.
  14. "Chavez says he'll lobby Obama on Cuba at summit," Taiwan News. March 18, 2009.
  15. Bagoo, Andre. "ODPM activates emergency systems for Summit," Newsday. March 17, 2009.
  16. Premier discusses world economy with CARICOM heads, The Royal Gazette, March 17, 2009
  17. Bermuda Regiment Deployment not required for upcoming Summit of the Americas Archived 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine, South Florida Caribbean News, April 20, 2009
  18. "J'can police, soldiers to provide security at Americas Summit," Archived 2009-03-30 at the Wayback Machine Jamaica Observer (Kingston). March 27, 2009.

References

  • Prieto, Alfredo. "Everybody But Cuba,"Havana Times. April 15, 2009.
  • Twaddle, Andrew C. (2002). Health Care Reform Around the World. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Publishing. ISBN 978-0-86569-288-6. OCLC 48132063.
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