WASHINGTON - June 10 - Chilean Ambassador to the United Nations Heraldo Munoz speaks to TRNN Senior Editor Paul Jay about Obama's speech at the Summit of Americas. Munoz says that Obama's refreshingly receptive approach was appealing to Latin Americans, especially in comparison to the "dictating terms" and unilateral actions of Obama's predecessors.

"In order to work together with the US, and the administration under Obama, which is a breath of fresh air in Latin America, we need to acknowledge what happened in the past," Munoz says. "Not to remain there, but only to say that conditions the present and the future."

China is now Chile's main trading partner, Munoz says, and as Latin America develops new global economic relations, these links will inevitably affect their ties with the US.

"[Latin America] want to be friends with the United States, but on equal terms, so it doesn't impose its will as it used to do in the past. Second, there are [other] competitors," Munoz says. "China is not only become important trade partners to countries such as my own, or to Brazil, or Mexico and others, but is a major investor now. Buying up mining conserves, oil conserves, investments in agriculture, etc. On the other hand, you have new players. India is becoming an important player in Latin America: they are selling cars, they are selling software, they are investing in the region, so that the US cannot assume that awful term - that the US cannot say that Latin America is its backyard."

Watch the full story on http://therealnews.com/t/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=3847&updaterx=2009-06-10+12%3A56%3A02