PHOTO BY ED WOJCICKI
Former Ambassador Edward O’Donnell addresses the World Affairs Council of Central Illinois Feb. 26 at Illini Nation Membership.
A sold-out viewers packed the Illini Nation Membership assembly room Feb. 26 to study and focus on the hot-button matters of Panama and tariffs. Greater than 100 folks started with a meal of Panamanian meals and one other 40 arrived for a presentation by former Ambassador Edward O’Donnell on the World Affairs Council of Central Illinois session.
Throughout the Q&A, questions ranged from geopolitical tensions involving China to a present water scarcity affecting the Panama Canal.
Larry Golden of Springfield requested O’Donnell whether or not a transactional method to overseas affairs, resembling demanding mineral rights from Ukraine as President Donald Trump has executed, will be efficient, as an alternative of utilizing extra conventional diplomacy. “Can it work? What are the prices? Are there any advantages to it?” Golden requested.
O’Donnell, a profession diplomat who was talking just a few days earlier than the Trump-Zelensky assembly within the White Home, replied there will be short-term advantages, however added, “There are some long-term prices after we (will) want allies. There will likely be a disaster the place we’ll need Germany and India and Colombia and Panama to be on our aspect in opposition to exploitation by China, or an invasion of Ukraine by Putin and so forth. I feel there’s some concern about that (transactional) method.”
Adriana Piatti-Crocker, a professor of political science and director of world research at College of Illinois Springfield, requested if tariffs may weaken diplomatic relations in Latin America. O’Donnell stated sure, if the tariffs are enacted and never simply threatened. “We’ll must see how that seems,” he stated.
He additionally stated there are potential unfavorable results of the tariffs that President Trump is proposing, together with increased costs averaging a further $800 to $1,200 a yr in prices for People, a disruption in provide chains and possible retaliatory tariffs imposed by different international locations.
Piatti-Crocker agreed and advised Illinois Occasions afterward: “Tariffs do result in battle and go in opposition to 70 years of American overseas coverage that advocated free commerce by worldwide establishments sponsored by the U.S. and Western allies and a number of commerce agreements with Latin American international locations.” She additionally stated some international locations “could interpret U.S. protectionist insurance policies as political isolationism,” presumably strengthening China’s place in Latin America.
Throughout his 33-year profession within the overseas service, O’Donnell served twice in Panama, in 1988-89 and once more from 1999-2002. He additionally labored in Europe, different Latin American international locations and Washington, D.C.
Introducing O’Donnell at first of this system was Kathy Johnson, a retired overseas service officer who served with O’Donnell in Austria within the Nineties. Johnson labored on administration points for 3 negotiating delegations whereas O’Donnell was the financial counselor on the U.S. Embassy in Vienna. Johnson was born in Oak Park and served on 4 continents whereas shifting 15 instances.
Johnson retired in Springfield regardless that she had by no means lived right here. She stated she spent a yr deciding the place to retire and had an inventory of standards, together with affordable entry to household in different cities and cultural facilities.
“I used to be honored to serve our great nation as a U.S. diplomat for 31 years,” she stated. She is on the WACCI board of administrators as vp for packages.
O’Donnell described intimately the historical past of the Panama Canal, which opened in 1914. He cited President Theodore Roosevelt’s enthusiasm for its building and, many years later, the political situations that led President Jimmy Carter to barter treaties in 1977 that assured Panama would acquire management of the Panama Canal after 1999.
“It is actually deep within the Panamanian soul” that solely the Panamanian flag, not the American flag, ought to fly over their land, he stated. Previous to Carter’s negotiations, he added, three U.S. presidents – Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford – had talked about returning the canal to Panama to keep away from the looks of U.S. colonialism.
“The canal is just not solely a crucial income for Panama however, as acknowledged by O’Donnell, it’s a supply of Panamanian satisfaction and identification,” Piatti-Crocker added.
O’Donnell singled out Carter as an essential promoter of human rights. O’Donnell served in Paraguay within the Nineteen Seventies and stated a “horrible individual,” Alfredo Stroessner, served as its navy dictator from 1954 to 1989. Stroessner put political opponents in jail and harbored Nazi criminals from World Conflict II. However Carter pressured him to launch almost the entire nation’s 1,000 political prisoners.
“Carter’s human rights coverage made a distinction throughout Latin America,” O’Donnell stated. “And bear in mind, this was throughout the Chilly Conflict after we have been competing with communist Cuba and all through the hemisphere for affect. President Carter, I feel, received it proper – (he centered on) human rights.”
Different U.S. presidents earlier than and after Carter both supported or didn’t problem some Latin American dictatorships, Piatti-Crocker added. She stated Carter decreased financial and navy support to dictatorships in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, however his long-term effectiveness was decreased by being president solely the 4 years from 1977 to 1981.
Piatti-Crocker research human rights in Latin America, particularly insurance policies meant to advertise the mandated inclusion of girls in legislatures. She stated greater than 130 international locations have adopted “gender quota” insurance policies elevating alternatives for girls in elective places of work.
“The relative success of Latin American ladies in profitable electoral workplace within the new millennium – together with the presidencies of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Honduras and now additionally Mexico – displays international adjustments in gender roles and a significant cultural shift within the area,” she wrote final yr after Claudia Sheinbaum was elected president of Mexico.
WACCI is a civic group devoted to educating the general public about U.S. overseas coverage, international financial and environmental points, and worldwide politics by in-depth shows and discussions. The group hosts a speaker collection with acknowledged consultants offering lectures on crucial points from a wide range of viewpoints. All occasions are free and open to the general public.
Ed Wojcicki has a bachelor’s diploma in journalism, was writer of Illinois Points journal for 10 years and now freelances from Springfield.
