Abstract
The U.S position in respect to prestige, stature, reputation and respect has declined in a dramatic way especially in Latin America. To some extent, the weakening of this relationship can be associated with the economic competition that the United States has been facing from other fast developing and developed countries. The U.S military invasion of countries in Latin America leaves those countries more stable but weakens the relation U.S-Latin America relation. The economic gains that U.S has been obtaining in this region have reduced even with the policies that have established by the Whitehouse Occupants. The U.S needs to re-establish the dominant force while ensuring that Latin America does not feel inferior. President Obama should step in, to rescue the relationship.
Introduction
The United States as a dominant force in Latin America has been diminishing over time. It is a rare act for both the U.S president and his vice to visit the Caribbean and Latin America on the same year. President Obama visited Central America and Mexico whereas Joe Biden has been to Colombia, Tobago and Trinidad. These trips have occurred in almost one month (May). In addition, presidents from Peru and Chile have held meetings in Washington on early June. With these happenings, it is an indication that the U.S has realized the weakening relationship and is in attempts to rescue it. But the questions on what went wrong and what should be done sprout up. This article revisits this relationship seeking to get the reasons for its decline focusing on economic, military actions and the influence of various U.S presidents.
Latin America is the largest supplier of oil to the U.S and still a strong partner in alternative fuels development. Latin America still poses as a fast growing-trading partner. However, countries in this region have grown stronger thus expanding their relations with others such as India and China. For a moment, the U.S seemed to forget the benefits of being a dominant force to reckon with in Latin America such as the resources and trade endeavors. The U.S thus has paid attention elsewhere. In recent years, the United States has concentrated in the challenges in the Middle East thus the relationship with Latin America has reshaped negatively.
During this time, Latin America has been making substantial progress despite the challenges they have still come across. Most countries in this region have adopted democracy, opened up their economies while the populations have become more mobile. In a way, they have managed to reduce poverty levels, inequality and provision of public security. With such achievements, the support they received from the U.S has been low resulting to seeking beneficial deals, treaties and contracts from other countries. India and China have been the greater beneficiaries under this. To reestablish the relationship, there is need to make account for recent, political, economic and historic changes in Latin America.
The U.S being the epicenter of its financial investment and world economic crisis has weakened the presence of U.S in Latin America. Secondly, the US over extended their military forces to other regions including Middle East, Asia and Eastern Europe thus intervention in Latin America has not been prevalent.
The effect of U.S’s economic weakness to the U.S-Latin American Relationship
When the World War II came to an end, the United States was the most powerful country even from an economic aspect. Its competitors had been destroyed. The resistance by countries against the influence of the U.S started with China which at present day stands at an economic position to compete with the U.S. In 1949, many uttered that they had lost China. The same case is bound to happen in Latin America. By 1970, the U.S was joined by German and Japan to as the strong economics. With the competitors on the rise, the dominance of the U.S keeps declining and the Latin American countries will have other options of countries that can help gain more stability.
According to the Council of Foreign Affairs, the U.S-Latin America relationship had been strengthened by the involvement of the U.S in assisting Latin American countries to cub inequality and poverty, energy security, migration concerns and public security. At the moment, there are countries that have the economic capability to sponsor such services to Latin American countries. A good example is China. The countries are using these economic powers to foster prosperity, stability and democracy. Having this in mind then, the answer to whether the decline of the U.S dominance is due to economic weakness is yes. If not a 100% yes, it is more than 40%.
U.S Military action and consequences on the Latin American Relations
When the U.S military engages in invading other countries to restore democracy or peace restoration, it does not always add up for positive benefits in the way the U.S relates with Latin America. To begin with, there are a lot of financial obligations that have to sponsor by the U.S budget. These expenses consume billions of dollars. The country has spent a lot of resources in Middle East mostly Afghanistan and Iraq. Fighting the crimes originating from these regions resulted to reduction of attention that had previously been focused to Latin America. This then causes the Latin America to build bonds with other developed countries to ensure that their stability is maintained, improved and developed.
Further still, the U.S receives negative critics for the engagement in dealing with criminals. For instance, questions are still lingering about how Osama Bin Laden was killed. It is questioned by other nations why he was not taken to courts and prosecuted. Regardless of the fact that the criminal had terrorized almost every part of the country, some still view the incidence as the U.S taking actions without consulting other states. The United Nations did recommend the U.S military. As a result, many countries perceived it as the U.S being pampered by the U.N. All this factors go to the same basket as undermining the relationship that exists between Latin America and the United States.
Various governments’ policies by varying U.S presidents and their effect on U.S-Latin America relationship
In the early 19th century, the U.S was still a dominant influence in Latin America up to the end of World War II. In the 1930’s-40’s, President Franklin Roosevelt operated under the good neighbor policy safeguarding the relationship. The U.S was also involved in the Banana Wars in the late 19th century and early 20th century in which the U.S aimed at protecting their commercial interest in the region. Going back to the Cold War era, the U.S engaged in overthrowing governments that had been elected democratically in Latin American to prevent the spread of communism. These included the 1973 coup d'état in Chile, another one in Brazil on 1964 and the earliest in Guatemala on 1954. In the 1960’s the U.S cut trading ties with Cuba for creating a Non-Aligned Movement which was against the U.S foreign policy under President John Kennedy. In the mid 1980’s, President Reagan supported the right-wing authoritarian in Latin America. Relations weakened when the president supported the then British Prime Minister against the Argentina military war. In the 2000s era, most countries in the region have adopted democratic socialism. This saw the countries opposing the ALCA agendas and decided to follow self-imposed regional integration for which the U.S would not oversee. As evident, at this time, the U.S dominance had weakened dramatically. To further amplify the decline of the U.S influence, a coup attempt against Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez failed which was backed by the George W. Bush administration in 2002.
President Obama administration has been in attempts to improve the relationship. For instance, it has been in plans to deliver comprehensive immigration reforms, use justice in supporting peace in Colombia, rational policy towards Cuba, focusing on an end to militarized approach in dealing with drugs, human rights appraisal in the region, decisive support for human rights in Honduras amongst other policies.
Conclusion
The dominance of the U.S influence on Latin America has declined over time. The U.S economic control that it once had over the region has been diminishing. This is mainly due to economic weaknesses of the U.S and the military actions which have resulted to reduced attention on Latin America. Foreign policies adopted in the late 1990’s and early 2000 by the U.S administration have contributed to the weakening of the U.S-Latin America relations.
Works Cited
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