Secret Service fling with prostitutes won't help Obama at Summit of the Americas

Federal agent was too cheap to pay for "services rendered"

The 6th Summit of the Americas opened last night in Cartagena, Colombia, hosted by its president, Juan Manuel Santos. President Obama and dozens of other world leaders arrived yesterday in the Caribbean city. Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, who is receiving chemotherapy in nearby Havana, will make a cameo appearance today on his way back to Caracas. And Fidel Castro, still fuming over Cuba's non-invitation to the event, is referring to the affair as the Summit of the Guayaberas, in reference to the custom-made tropical shirts which many of the male leaders, including Obama, will be sporting this year. The guayabera purportedly originated in Cuba in the 19th century, and is mandatory wear for its top governmental officials at many state functions. Castro sees hypocrisy in the fact that some leaders will be dressed in a Cuban-inspired garment while insisting that the island be excluded from the summit.

Sources say the U.S. president is a far less popular man among the Latin heads of state than he was just three years ago, when the last summit convened in 2009. A late breaking scandal noted by CNN on its website today probably won't help things any. The network reports that 12 members of a Secret Service advance team who arrived in Colombia several days ago have been sent back to Washington and replaced by other agents, after at least one of them hired a prostitute and rudely refused to pay for her services. She complained to local police. (http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/14/world/americas/colombia-summit-secret-service/index.html?hpt=hp_t1). Other agents then allegedly participated to one degree or another in a coverup. A former Washington Post reporter, quoted by CNN this morning, said it's "clearly the biggest scandal in Secret Service history." To many the only surprise will be that there are prostitutes in Cartegena who extend momentary credit.

President Obama will no doubt look sharp in his new guayabera, specially made for the summit, but just imagine what Fidel will have to say in the next installment of his periodic Reflections of the Comandante.

Today's Washington Post story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/us-secret-service-agents-recalled-from-colombia/2012/04/13/gIQAEdW9FT_story.html.

Colombia's president Santos calls for normalization of U.S.-Cuba relations: http://mexicogulfreporter.blogspot.mx/2012/04/colombias-president-santos-calls-for.html.
Mexican president Felipe Calderón condemns U.S. embargo of Cuba: http://mexicogulfreporter.blogspot.mx/2012/04/in-havana-mexican-president-felipe.html.
Hugo Chávez' condition in dispute after his latest cancer treatment in Cuba: http://mexicogulfreporter.blogspot.mx/2012/03/hugo-chavez-condition-in-dispute-after.html.

Former president Jimmy Carter wore the traditional plain white guayabera when he visited Cuba in 2011, in an effort to spring imprisoned American contractor Alan Gross, who is serving a 15 year sentence. Obama's will have colorful embroidery hand-stitched on the sides.