OTTAWA-
Foreign Minister Melanie Joly is trying to help broker a plan to get Haiti back on its feet after a gas shortage that sparked violence, as Latin American countries zero in on rising inequality.
“We have to be in crisis management mode,” she said in an interview Wednesday from Peru.
“There is no security in Haiti right now; gangs have taken over all levels of society.”
She was speaking at the start of the general assembly of the Organization of American States, which includes most of the countries of the Americas.
In Lima, Joly will convene a meeting with Haiti and neighboring countries to push for a plan to address fuel shortages that have prompted protests, looting and a collapse in health care.
She said this should include penalties for gang members who block access to the Varreux fuel terminal and a governance plan to root out corruption.
“We need to support a Haitian-led solution, and we need to push the (political) parties because the status quo is not an option.”
Joly said Canada would also try to tackle online misinformation that blames soaring inflation on the United States, rather than Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Russia is targeting the very anti-American sentiment that you can hear and feel in parts of our hemisphere, and we need to call out any form of lies that they have spread in order to sow division,” she said.
Maxwell Cameron, a University of British Columbia political science professor who specializes in Latin America, said Joly will have to be careful how she raises the issue of Ukraine.
“It doesn’t appear that the (Canadian) government has been particularly proactive in the diplomatic context in the Western Hemisphere, or in other spheres, although it is certainly focused on Ukraine,” Cameron said.
He noted that some countries like Brazil have not taken a strong line in the Ukrainian conflict, while undemocratic states have generally aligned themselves with Russia.
Countries like China have growing influence in the region at the expense of Canada and the United States, Cameron said. Leaders are focusing more on issues of economic polarization and growing authoritarianism than on power struggles in Europe, he added.
“There is an opportunity for Canada to step in and play a bit more of a role, and they should – but I don’t see that happening.”
But Joly noted that Russia’s war has led to food shortages in parts of South America and gas has become unaffordable in some small Caribbean states.
“Inequality is linked to the compounded crises that many people across the hemisphere face,” she said.
For years, members of the Organization of American States have debated whether to include undemocratic countries. Cuba’s membership is on hold, while Nicaragua pulled out this year after condemning its human rights record.
Venezuela is technically still a member of the group, although countries like Canada have tried to have a delegate from the democratic opposition represented, instead of one sent by the brutal dictatorship of Nicolas Maduro.
“This is not the kind of environment in which Canada hoped to operate,” Cameron said.
“These are difficult times for a country like Canada that wants to be as much of a neutral broker as possible that embraces multilateralism and democracy, which is not seen as fully aligned with the United States.”
Canada has already helped lead a campaign to delegitimize the Venezuelan dictatorship and recognize dissident leader Juan Guaido as the country’s head of government.
But Cameron said after little success, leaders must now decide how well they can work with the regime.
“You have to be pragmatic,” he said.
“You no longer have a personality in Venezuela who can claim that legitimacy, so it’s time to reset that policy; it’s time to look beyond Guaido.”
Cameron said a shift to authoritarianism in Guatemala and El Salvador raises other questions, but he said stronger democracies like Colombia can partner with Canada.
Joly said Canada maintains relations with Cuba while strongly denouncing authoritarian states like Venezuela.
“We condemn the human rights abuses of the Maduro regime, and we demand and urge the parties to return to the negotiating table,” she said.
Joly added that Canada is also pushing to reform global financial institutions, to avoid economic collapse in small states.
“Many countries are facing dramatic budget problems and we cannot let them down because (by) doing this we are letting millions of people down.”
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on October 5, 2022.