Commentary: What makes Uncle Sam "modest"?

One of the most impressive things at the just-concluded fifth Summit of the Americas is perhaps the unprecedented "modest" gesture by the United States at the regional gathering.

Presidents of Chile Michelle Bachelet, Argentina Cristina Fernandez, the U.S. Barack Obama and Brazil Inacio Lula da Silva (L-R) talk before the opening ceremony of the 5th Summit of the Americas in Port of Spain April 17, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

In a region where memories of the Monroe Doctrine and other U.S. interventionist policies are still fresh, this represents a significant change.

In fact, U.S. President Barack Obama was not making overtures in a casual way.

Before Obama embarked on his first presidential trip to Latin America, the White House made it clear that the president "is not going to Trinidad with a plan for the hemisphere... He is going to Trinidad with the intention of listening, and discussing and dealing with his colleagues as partners."

The modesty of Uncle Sam this time has been manifested in many ways.

First of all, Obama said explicitly at the summit that countries in the hemisphere are "equal partners" and the future relationship between the United States and the rest of the region should be based on "mutual respect, common interests and common values."

For a country that has long been treating Latin America as its own "backyard," these kinds of expressions are very rare, if not unprecedented.

Secondly, the president admitted several times that his country had made a number of mistakes in regional affairs.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the summit, Obama conceded: "We have at times been disengaged... and at times we sought to dictate our terms."

At a press conference on Sunday, he said his country has unpleasant history with the region and had used "double standards."

Obama also called the long-time U.S. policy of isolating Cuba "foolish."

And finally, the Obama administration seemed not shy about taking responsibility for the region's various woes.

When visiting the Dominican Republic ahead of the summit, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton acknowledged that the rampant illicit drug trade in Latin America is directly related to the huge demand for drug in her country.

Earlier, during her trip to Mexico, Clinton admitted that the increasing violence in Mexico has a lot to do with guns smuggled in from the United States.

The unusual U.S. "modesty" is not a result of a sudden impulse.

The new phenomenon can be traced to Obama's foreign policy philosophy and has a lot to do with the changing realities in and outside the United States.

Obama is known for his different approach in dealing with foreign affairs from his predecessor George W. Bush, who once favored unilateralism and pre-emptive military strikes.

The new president is more inclined to multilateralism and the notion of "soft power" and "smart power."

Due to the historical tensions between Latin America and the United States, resentment at the United States has become a mindset among many Latin Americans. The sentiment soared further during the Bush years.

Obama and his advisors may be convinced that a modest gesture could be an effective way to ease such negative feelings.

Domestically, the Latinos in the United States are gaining more political power and are asking the new administration to treat their original countries with more respect.