The election of Barack Obama won primarily on a platform of change has inspired some Latin American bloggers to reflect on their own countries They wondered about what they might learn from the historic race, what might be possible, and what is in store for their own countries.

La Foto Salió Movida [es] from Costa Rica thinks anything is possible, and that the country must draw inspiration from the example of the United States to make positive changes.

Una victoria que nos hace pensar en la posibilidad local de renovar nuestras organizaciones. De ampliarlas por medio de la generación de oportunidades para todos. Porque todos es lo que necesitamos. La balanza del ganar- perder no debería existir. La de todos ganar sí.

(…)

Y si no las hacemos, efectivamente nos vamos a quedar atrás. Este espíritu de oportunidad extendido por la televisión, Internet, la energía desde los Estados Unidos; para lo que nos debe servir, es para ejemplificar que los cambios son posibles. Hay que salirse de esa mente que piensa que hay que acumular para poder repartir, cuando lo que se ocupa es repartir sin tener que acumular. Nosotros también podemos. Yes We Can.

A victory that makes us think in local possibilities to renew our own organizations. To expand them through the creation of opportunities for all. Because for all is what we need. The balance between win-lose should not exist. We should all win.

(…)

If we don't do it, then effectively we will remain behind. This spirit of opportunity has extended through television, internet, the energy from the United States; what it means to us is to show that changes are possible. We must leave behind the mentality that we should collect in order to distribute, when we should think about distributing without needing to collect. We, too, can do it. Yes We Can.

However, to get to the position for change, countries often need to arrive via the ballot box. In some countries, the system is remarkably different than the U.S., as point out the blogger at Mi Isla Al Mediodia [es], who sees a lot of contrasts between the elections in the U.S. and at home:

Por acá los cubanos deberíamos aprender un poco de ese tema En asuntos de democracia somos un pueblo más bien ignorante. Tan mal estamos en esa materia, que en las últimas elecciones el gobierno, siempre tan gentil y preocupado, se ha encargado de poner un circulo muy grande en el centro de la boleta electoral para facilitarnos el voto. Marcar una X en el centro significa votar en un único y ágil movimiento, por todos los candidatos que el gobierno ha aprobado y validado antes por mostros (a través de una comisión de nominación). Este sencillo procedimiento se llama VOTO UNIDO, y nos ha resultado tan ameno y fácil de implementar, que prácticamente ha arrasado en las últimas tres elecciones para diputados a la asamblea nacional, que es la elección más importante a la que tenemos que enfrentarnos los cubanos, pues el presidente a su vez es electo por la asamblea.

Será interesante ver el día en que los candidatos de la boleta no hayan sido “filtrados” por una comisión tan “imparcial”, sino por la opinión pública, y será más interesante ver si algún día a los cubanos nos da por tomarnos más en serio ese momento en que cedemos nuestra minúscula porción de poder marcando con una X en algún sitio preestablecido.

Here, we Cubans must learn something from this. In matters of democracy, we are ignorant. We are so bad in this area, that in the last government elections, so gentle and worried, that they placed a giant circle in the middle of the ballot to help us with the vote. Marking an X in the middle means voting in a single and smooth motion, for all of the candidates that the government had approved and validated (through a nominating commission) This simple process is called UNITED VOTE, and it has become so pleasant and simple to implement, that it had made the last three elections for deputies for the national assembly so smooth, and that is the most important election that Cubans have to face, as the president is elected by the assembly.

It would be interesting to see the day when the candidates on the ballot are not “filtered” by a commission so “impartial,” but rather by public opinion, and it would be even more interesting to see Cubans take more seriously the moment when we don't give up our power and we don't mark an X on a preestablished place.

Other bloggers are wondering what the election of Obama might mean for foreign policy towards their own country. Edgar Ruiz Diaz has a list of questions regarding Obama's moves and asks, “what will Obama do for Paraguay?” His questions have received a lot of criticism from readers as being shortsighted, especially in terms of the question of race.

¿Obama sabe que Paraguay existe?

Si conoce la existencia y la realidad de Paraguay, ¿hará cambios radicales en la embajada de su país en Asunción?

¿Mantendrá en su cargo a la nueva embajadora norteamericana en Asunción o enviará a un negro como embajador?

¿Ordenará a los funcionarios de la embajada de su país en Asunción igualar la concesión de becas entre morochos, trigueños y rubios paraguayos?

¿Se preocupará de la zona de Triple Frontera, donde los belicosos de la administración Bush ven terroristas y financistas del terrorismo en Medio Oriente?

¿Vendrá alguna vez a Paraguay, viajar por el interior y tomar tereré o mate con los campesinos?

¿Qué pensará de las reinvindicaciones campesinas paraguayas?

¿Invitará al presidente Fernando Lugo a una nueva visita a la Casa Blanca?

¿Le importará Paraguay?

Does Obama know that Paraguay exists?

If he knows about the existence and reality of Paraguay, would he make radical changes in the American embassy in Asunción?

Would he keep the new U.S. ambassador in Asunción or would he send a black as ambassador?

Would he order the embassy employees in Asunción equally distribute scholarships among dark, fair, and light-skinned Paraguayans?

Would he be concerned about the Triple Border area, where the aggressive Bush administration sees terrorists and financiers of Middle Eastern terrorists?

Would he come to Paraguay, travel within the country and drink tereré or mate with the peasants?

What would he think about the Paraguayan peasant revindications?

Would he invited (Paraguayan president) Fernando Lugo for a new visit to the White House?

Would Paraguay matter to him?