Who was Jimmy Carter, the longest-serving president in United States history?

Jimmy Carter, who died on December 29, 2024, was a leading figure in politics and humanitarian activism. Born October 1, 1924 in Plains, Georgia, Carter became governor of Georgia in 1970. Among new young governors in the South, he attracted attention by emphasizing ecology, efficiency in government, and the elimination of racial barriers. .

In December 1974, Carter announced his candidacy for president and began a two-year campaign that gradually gained momentum. At the Democratic Convention, he was nominated on the first ballot and chose Senator Walter F. Mondale of Minnesota as his running mate. Carter campaigned hard against President Gerald R. Ford, debating him three times and winning by 297 electoral votes to 241 for Ford.

Carter wanted his government to be “competent and compassionate.” However, his administration faced significant challenges due to rising energy costs and rising inflation. Despite these problems, he achieved important successes in foreign policy. In 1978, he facilitated the Camp David Agreement, which helped bring about a historic rapprochement between Egypt and Israel. He also achieved the ratification of the Panama Canal treaties, where Colombia played a key role.

(Read also: Jimmy Carter, former president of the United States, dies at 100 years of age)

Additionally, Carter established full diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China and completed the negotiation of the SALT II nuclear limitation treaty with the defunct Soviet Union. However, his presidency also had serious setbacks, such as the soviet invasion of Afghanistanwhich led to the suspension of plans for ratification of SALT II, ​​and the Iran hostage crisis, which dominated the news for the last 14 months of his administration.

Following his presidency, Carter and the Carter Center have participated in conflict mediation in various regions of the world, including Ethiopia and Eritrea (1989), North Korea (1994), Liberia (1994), Haiti (1994), Bosnia ( 1994), Sudan (1995), the Great Lakes region of Africa (1995-96), Sudan and Uganda (1999) and Venezuela (2002-2003).

In 2002, Carter received the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in finding peaceful solutions to international conflicts, promoting democracy and human rights, and fostering economic and social development. His legacy lives on as a tireless advocate for global peace and justice.

Carter was also a prolific author, writing numerous books on politics, faith, and human rights. His life was marked by a constant commitment to public service and the betterment of humanity. Throughout his career, Carter demonstrated an unwavering dedication to the principles of justice, equality and peace.

Carter’s impact extends beyond his time in the White House. His work with the Carter Center has had a lasting effect on democracy promotion and conflict resolution around the world. His focus on diplomacy and human rights has left an indelible mark on international politics.

Jimmy Carter He will be remembered not only as a president of the United States, but as a champion of human rights and a tireless advocate for peace. His life and legacy continue to inspire future generations to work for a more just and peaceful world.

Jimmy Carter and his approach to Latin America

Human rights, democracy and non-intervention: the politics of presidente Jimmy Carter to Latin America It represented a break with the past, but clashed with reality in Central America and Cuba.

Upon his arrival at the White House in 1977, despite the context of the cold war between the United States and the Soviet Union, the Democratic president attempted to give a new course to the relationship between his country and the rest of the American continent, an area traditionally of influence for Washington.

For Carter, who ruled the United States until 1981 and died Sunday at age 100, “Latin America was fundamental and its global policy was oriented towards human rights, democratic values ​​and multilateral cooperation,” the American political scientist told the AFP news agency. Michael Shifter.

A symbol of this policy was the signing of the Torrijos-Carter treaty in 1977 for the return of the Panama Canal, which passed into Panamanian hands on December 31, 1999.

“Carter understood that if the Canal was not returned to Panama, the relationship between the United States and Panama could lead to a new crisis in a country where Washington could not afford instability,” said Luis Guillermo Solís, former president of Costa Rica and political scientist.

In 2016, Carter acknowledged that it was “the most difficult political challenge” of his career, and “the bravest decision that the United States government has made, because it was very unpopular to return the Canal.”

“A milestone”

For Solís, Carter’s policy toward Central America “marked a milestone.” Washington’s decision not to support Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza “was a decisive factor” in his defeat by the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN, Marxist) in 1979.

However, in El Salvador He was unable to move forward with his policy and “had to make a very uncomfortable pact with the Salvadoran government,” Shifter said.

Toward the end of his term and to prevent the communists from taking power, he restored military assistance to the ruling junta, which became radicalized and began massacring civilians, plunging El Salvador into a prolonged civil war.

In the Southern Cone, Carter assumed critical positions against military dictatorships and “in several cases he suspended the sale of weapons as a political sanction. But he did not achieve progress in terms of democratization,” highlighted Argentine political analyst Rosendo Fraga.

Jimmy Carter’s rapprochement with Cuba

Carter also tried to normalize relations with Cuba, 15 years after the missile crisis. He relaxed the embargo against the communist island, in force since 1962, and led to the opening of interest sections in Washington and Havana.

“With him, the capacity for dialogue instead of confrontation as a framework for political relations was inaugurated for the first time,” Jesús Arboleya, a former Cuban diplomat, told AFP.

But in 1980, the exodus through the port of Mariel of 125,000 Cubans to USA weakened the Democrat’s presidency.

“This worked as an escape valve for Fidel Castro but hurt Carter politically with the swarm of unexpected immigrants,” Jennifer McCoy, a political science professor at Georgia State University, told AFP.

Furthermore, Castro sent troops to Africa, contrary to American interests, a fact that put an end to the process of normalization of relations.

Carter was in Cuba twice. In 2002 he made a historic visit to Havana, becoming the first former US president to set foot on the island after 1959. He returned in 2011.

During the first visit, “he made a bold call for USA ease the embargo, but he also asked Castro to assume democratic opening,” said McCoy, who accompanied him on that trip.

“Castro was sitting in the front row and we were afraid he would get up to refute Carter in a long speech. But he didn’t,” he said.

(Read also: What was the origin of the Panama Canal and why does Trump ask for it “back”? Colombia was key)

Republican Ronald Reagan, who succeeded Carter, adopted a radically opposite position and returned to the policy of confrontation with Cuba.

The island had to wait for the arrival White House of Democrat Barack Obama (2009-2017) to begin a new stage of normalization that regressed after Republican Donald Trump came to power in 2017.

Democratic President Joe Biden promised to review the policy but hardened his position following the crackdown on 2021 anti-government protests on the island.