Holiday solidarity the Bolivarian way By Jeff Davis Published December 9, 2009

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If fellowship is the hallmark of the Christmas season, diplomats from the hemisphere's Bolivarian axis are certainly in the holiday spirit.

Friday evening, the Cuban embassy opened its doors to an eclectic mix of leftist students, fair traders and aboriginal dancers, all of whom were raucously receptive to the evening's socialist political messaging.

Well lubricated by mojitos, cuba libres and Brazilian beats, the heavily-dreadlocked crowd listened intently as Venezuela's new Chargé d'Affaires Juan Carlos Coronado Bogarin stumped for his President Hugo Chavez's vision of remaking Latin America's political, economic and security infrastructure.

While Canada is pushing classic free trade deals, Mr. Coronado sang the praises of the Bank of the South, an "alternative to the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank," which he said makes Latin countries "poor as opposed to helping them out." He also drummed up support for another Chavez brainchild: the SUCRE. A joint currency styled on the Euro and slated to enter use in 2010, Mr. Coronado said it would allow the nine-nation Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas—the quickly strengthening camp of socialist regimes—"to not depend uniquely on the US dollar."

On the security front, Mr. Coronado touted the South American Defence Council. A freshly formed regional security body that held its first meetings in March, Cuban Ambassador Teresita de Jesús Vicente Sotolongo said it was like NATO, "but defensive, not offensive."

Finally, Mr. Coronado mentioned his government is trying to bring TeleSUR—the Caracas-based television network that promotes Latin American integration—to Canadian audiences. From TeleSUR, he said, Canadians could get a "real picture of what's going on in South America, as opposed to the one-sided news you get from CNN." Perhaps TeleSUR should get some tips from their partner station Al-Jazeera, which gained broadcasting rights just weeks ago after a prolonged battle with the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission.

No Canadian politicians or diplomats were present at the event—no surprise considering the Harper government's disdain for the rising socialist tide in the region and the general absence of these countries in its Americas Strategy. Nevertheless, Mr. Coronado said bilateral relations have improved marginally, evidenced by the fact that he holds the rank of minister counsellor, a considerably more senior rank than former chargé d'affaires José Antonio Rodriguez de la Sierra, a mere first secretary.

Bolivian Ambassador Edgar Torrez Mosqueira, meanwhile, voiced his support for Bolivian President Evo Morales, wishing him well in Sunday's election, where the Aymara Indian and former coca farmer won an authoritative victory that extends his reign to 2013.

"Viva Evo!" piped the Cuban ambassador.

Mr. Mosqueira's praise for revolutionary "heroes" like Fidel Castro and Che Guevara was greeted with shouts of "hasta la victoria siempre!" from the homegrown Canadian socialists in the room. Chief among them was Christian Legeais, a candidate for the Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada who was defeated in the last two federal elections.

Mr. Legeais said he favours the dissolution of political parties, the summary withdrawal of Canada from NAFTA, NORAD and NATO, and the immediate withdrawal of Canadian troops from Afghanistan.

Led by national director of international programs Susan Johnson, staff from the Canadian Red Cross were out in force, dancing late into the evening to Latin classics like The Girl from Impanema and Besame Mucho.

Ottawa takes back its streets

Six years after a series of concrete security barriers gobbled up a lane of traffic on Sussex Drive, the City of Ottawa is pushing the US Embassy to cough up some cash for a smaller and less ugly security option.

Leading the charge is Rideau-Vanier Councillor Georges Bedard who says locals have been complaining about the embassy's security "overkill."

"The building was already looking very severe, and when you add this it looks like a fortress," Mr. Bedard told Chatter House.

Such an eyesore is unbecoming of a parade route that ferries high-profile visitors from Parliament to places like 24 Sussex and Rideau Hall, he said.

"It's an embarrassment when you have a ceremonial route that is barricaded," he said. "What does that look like to visiting dignitaries?"

The chance to remove the barriers comes as the city plans to rip up Sussex Drive to replace water pipes dating back to 1898. Instead of wholesale removal, the city is proposing the jersey barriers be replaced by smaller "bollard" posts, which would be more attractive and open a lane of traffic to pedestrians and cyclists.

Mr. Bedard said the city's transportation committee, the National Capital Commission and the Department of Foreign Affairs are squarely behind the plan. The Americans and the RCMP, he said, are less enthusiastic.

Considering it's for their own security, Mr. Bedard said the Americans should share the cost of the project, which will cost close to $1 million. He added that the city is anxious for an answer within a month because plans must be finalized soon if they are to qualify for federal and provincial funding.

Citing security secrecy, US Embassy spokeswoman Sophie Nadeau would only say that the Americans "appreciate our location in this beautiful area, and we always want to strive to be a good neighbor."

jdavis@embassymag.ca