"Change or Death..."

After the highly publicized handshake between Barack Obama and Hugo Chavez on Friday, Telesur quoted Chavez welcoming the changes which could lead to “new relations” between the U.S. and Latin American countries, including Cuba. “We should push ahead with these changes. If we don’t change we die. Change or death, we shouldn’t lose any time.” Chavez may as well have been referring to changes in his own political strategy and to changes that may be coming in Telesur’s coverage of the U.S., and particularly its coverage of Obama.

On Monday, Telesur ran a story about President Obama meeting with his economic advisors, which may reflect that change. The story was surprising not for its content, but for its total lack of any apparent political agenda or editorializing. Even though it’s an economic story about Obama trying to cut federal spending, it doesn’t include the usual accusations about the U.S.’s responsibility for the financial crisis or about the excesses of capitalism. It’s as close to straight journalism as any story Telesur has done about the U.S.

While a lot has been made about the goodwill coming out of the Summit of the Americas, and the possibility for improved relations between the U.S. and Venezuela, including resuming diplomatic relations, the reason for the change in tone is probably a political one. A CIMA poll released just before the summit showed that President Obama has a 70% approval rating among Latin Americans, the highest of any president in the region (Lula of Brazil has 59% approval and Chavez has a 28% approval rating). Chavez clearly recognizes that he’s dealing with a whole new political reality with the arrival of Obama. In an interview with Telesur after their meeting, Chavez was unusually restrained, talking about how he appreciated Obama’s gesture. Due to Obama’s popularity, the Chavez administration seems to be adapting its tone toward Washington and adapting the tone of the coverage on Telesur.