Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Losing Latin America
With the election of Evo Morales to the presidency in Bolivia, we can safely say that the Bush administration lost Latin America. It did so in spite of its earlier promises to pay special attention to the region. Hugo Chavez, who Bush has handled poorly - most notably by displaying an ill-timed exuberance when a coup seemed to have occurred in Caracas - now has a new ally. Who would have thought that Fidel Castro would gain so many friends after the fall of his Soviet patrons? Our ability to prosecute the war on drugs will be further hampered.
This is, in part, the fruit of Bush's own inattention to the region. Potential allies like Mexico's Vicente Fox, have been ignored or poorly rewarded. The collapse of the Argentinian economy at the beginning of the decade brought a yawn from Washington, despite the damage this did to popular perceptions about free market economics throughout the region. In an era when we fight a global struggle, the support of Latin America would have been nice to have.
This is, in part, the fruit of Bush's own inattention to the region. Potential allies like Mexico's Vicente Fox, have been ignored or poorly rewarded. The collapse of the Argentinian economy at the beginning of the decade brought a yawn from Washington, despite the damage this did to popular perceptions about free market economics throughout the region. In an era when we fight a global struggle, the support of Latin America would have been nice to have.
