Lincoln Chafee International Trips, 2016 (The More Things Changed)

From March 10th through 14th, March 27th through April 3rd, and April 10th through April 13th, Rhode Island Governor and Democratic presidential candidate Lincoln Chafee underwent a series of international trips to bolster his foreign policy credentials. The three legs of his trips were focused on Latin America, Israel and the Middle East, and on Europe.

Background
Lincoln Chafee's international trips sought to boost his campaign's foreign policy credentials, as well as to contrast his campaign with that of his rivals, especially former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who had broad experience in international affairs, and New York Congressman Bernie Sanders, who largely ignored international issues and instead focused on his social democratic economic policy.

Throughout his trips, he was accompanied by foreign policy advisors, , and.

Latin American Leg
The Latin American leg of his foreign tour took place from March 10th through 14th, during which he visited Guatemala, Brazil, and became the first United States presidential candidate to visit Cuba.

During his March 10th speech at Rafael Landívar University, he gave what was he termed the "Manifest Obligation" - dubbed the "Chafee Corollary" by members of the press - that called for a focus on Latin America and the obligation of the United States to protect and aid the rest of the Americas, stating:

"'Under the Monroe Doctrine, first articulated over 200 years ago, the United States claimed the Americas were our own domain to protect or conquer this continent as we pleased. We then claimed a Manifest Destiny, to claim land as though it were a divine imperative. In the past century, neoconservatives claimed wars of intervention, for the sake of supporting brutal anti-Communist dictators as though it were a humanitarian imperative. It was not true. In this new century of progress and openness, we have an obligation to wage peace in our hemisphere. It is our own imperative for this new century.'"

During the rest of his stay in Guatemala, he met with Guatemala City Mayor, and gave a joint press conference to further address his foreign policy and his strategy proposals for Central America.

On April 13th, Chafee met with, the Cuban Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment, to discuss the thawing relations between the United States and Cuba and investment between the two countries. During a joint press conference with Díaz, Chafee unveiled a proposal to give greater incentives to U.S. businesses investing in Cuba and the rest of Latin America and the Caribbean.

Echoing Donald Trump's nickname for Chafee, U.S. Senator and former Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio called the Cuban trip "pathetic."

The following day, Chafee visited Rio de Janiero in Brazil, where he met with, President of the Brazilian Olympic Committee and architect of the city's Olympic bid. He faced some criticism for doing so, as his daughter, Louisa Chafee, was a member of the U.S. Olympic sailing team.

Middle Eastern Leg
The Middle Eastern leg of his foreign tour took place from Match 27th through April 3rd.

During his tour, he visited the Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the Palestinian Authority, and spoke at, the largest university in an Israeli settlement in the West Bank, and , the largest Palestinian university in the West Bank. In both speeches, he laid out his plan for a two-state solution and a land-swap deal, and stated

"'I am a strong supporter of the land-for-peace principle, which amounts to Palestinians gaining a homeland in exchange for recognizing the legitimacy of the state of Israel. I believe that this is the only way a lasting peace agreement can take root.'"

European Leg
The European leg of his foreign tour took place from April 10th through April 13th. On April 11th, on the invite of German MEP, Chafee spoke before the European Parliament on balancing privacy, security, and trade while reversing the trend towards mass surveillance, as well as his strategy to work with Europe to "wage peace." In his address, he stated:

"'Since the United States was divided into European colonies, trade has been central to our economy and identity. The strength of our economy depends on international trade and the free flow of information and ideas. We must re-commit to respect the rules we encourage other nations to adopt, and let this free flow of information and ideas remain unimpeded. However, even in this age of social media leaks and the threat of terrorism, we must not abandon the common principles of respect for ideas and culture, and respect for privacy. If I am accepted as the next President of the United States, my administration will be dedicated to following these principles of respect.'"

On April 13th, during his visit to Montenegro, he met with Edward Snowden in and conducted a joint press conference with, the Montenegrin Minister of Foreign Affairs, again stating his intention to cease bulk data collection by the NSA and to allow Snowden to return to the United States without facing charges. Chafee was also the first United States presidential candidate to visit Montenegro.