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MARCO WERMAN: President Obama's visit to Mexico is over. Mr. Obama left Mexico City today -- headed for Trinidad and Tobago. That's where he and 33 other regional leaders will attend the Summit of the Americas. The president's stay in Mexico offered a glimpse of what that summit might be like this weekend. Here's more from The World's Lorne Matalon.

LORNE MATALON: There's always some mistrust in Mexico when it comes to the United States. As Mexican dictator Porfirio Diaz once said, "Poor Mexico. So Far From God. So Close to the United States." But President Obama is being praised here for making Mexico his first Latin American visit, and for striking a respectful tone in his comments while in the country.

BARACK OBAMA: And I see this visit as an opportunity to launch a new era.

MATALON: Mr. Obama was referring to a number of issues that keep U-S and Mexican diplomats busy - from cooperating in the war against the drug cartels to immigration reform. But analysts says those words -- about launching a new era -- are resonating throughout the hemisphere, underscoring President Obama's effort to reengage Washington with Latin America. Mr. Obama's decision announced just before he arrived here, to relax travel and financial restrictions on Cuba, is part of that effort. The U-S move was praised here in Mexico. The president was asked about it at his news conference here.

OBAMA: I think what you saw was a good faith effort that we want to recast our relationship. Now a relationship that effectively has been frozen for 50 years is not going to thaw overnight. And, so, having taken the first step, it's very much in our interest to see whether Cuba is also ready to change.
MATALON: In his remarks during the visit, President Felipe Calderon said "Mexico is a good friend to both Cuba and the United States." And while he praised President Obama's move easing some restrictions on Cuban-Americans, Calderon also implied that he was looking forward to an end to the U-S embargo against Cuba. He said the embargo has not succeeded in accomplishing anything beyond harming innocent Cubans.

GEORGINA OLSON: I think this was the most important part of this meeting.

MATALON: Latin America analyst Georgina Olson says she's never seen a Mexican leader speak so forcefully against U-S Cuba policy.

OLSON: Calderon being very honest saying, "I think the embargo has not worked. It's time to recognize it." And I applaud Obama for deciding to start changing that and I wish him luck.

MATALON: The subject of Cuba will certainly surface this weekend - at the Summit of the Americas. Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez will make sure of that. He's already said that he won't sign the Summit's final declaration -- as a protest against Washington's Cuba policy. Cuba is the only nation in the hemisphere that is not invited to the Summit - officially singled out because of a lack of democracy on the island. Chavez challenges that reasoning.

HUGO CHAVEZ: Where is there more democracy? In the United States or in Cuba? Who has the democracy meter to measure this? I have no doubt in saying it: there is more democracy in Cuba than in the United States.

MATALON: Chavez has enlisted several other leftist Latin American leaders to support his protest. As a candidate, President Obama suggested he'd be willing to talk with hostile leaders, such as Chavez. But the White House says President Obama has no plans to hold face-to-face talks with the Venezuelan president this weekend. For The World, I'm Lorne Matalon in Mexico City.

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