An early signal may come in April – in Trinidad at the Summit of the Americas – when Latin American leaders (excluding Raúl Castro) will get what, for most, will be their first close-up look at the new president in action.
The US is still the big kid on the block: its trade with Latin America is worth more than $500bn (£330bn, €365bn) a year, more than five times that of China. Yet the expansion of Chinese and Russian influence – and that of lesser powers such as Iran – is challenging US dominance in the region.
How should the Obama administration react to these newcomers? First, say foreign policy specialists, it should recognise that Russia's and China's motives in moving into Latin America contrast fundamentally.
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