Richard Gott: Obama and McCain don't get Latin America

On the agenda for both candidates is the Venezuela of Hugo Chávez. McCain accused Chávez last year of using 'the cloak of electoral legitimacy to establish a one-party dictatorship', while Obama attacks him as 'a demagogue' whose 'perilous mix of anti-American rhetoric, authoritarian government, and chequebook diplomacy' harks back to an earlier era. To deal with this perceived problem, McCain has few suggestions, apart from reducing US reliance on imported oil and strengthening ties 'with key states like Brazil, Peru and Chile', while Obama has hardly given the subject more thought. With the ever-popular and regularly-elected Chávez in his sights, he calls for 'a vision of democracy that goes beyond the ballot box.' This would include US support for 'strong legislatures, independent judiciaries, free press, vibrant civil society, honest police forces, religious freedom, and the rule of law.' George Bush has had a similar programme and got precisely nowhere.