Not Ronald Reagan's Latin America Posted by Heather Hurlburt

friend-of-the-blog Johanna Mendelson Forman checks in with some thoughts on the Bolivia-Venezuela imbroglio and how it relates to events here ar home:

A recent New Yorker cartoon featured a group of military men sitting around a conference table.  They look pleased as they view a map of Russia overhead.  The caption states “The return of the Cold War –am I the only one who feels like I’m putting on a comfortable pair of old shoes?”

It is not only with recent events in Russia and its former satellite republic of Georgia, but we witness a similar nostalgia swelling up in some Washington circles regarding Latin America. As Russia’s fleet steams over to participate in joint naval operations with Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez the return of the bear has led many to believe that we are again back in an era of East-West confrontation.  Similarly, when  Nicaragua’s Daniel Ortega conferred recognition on South Ossetia, the only country aside from Russia in this confederation to do so, the U.S. government cancelled a visit by Secretary of Commerce Gutierrez in retaliation.   Do such outpourings of official support for Moscow become the basis for a new Cold War mentality in the hemisphere?  I think not.

What is really happening is more akin to what young children do when they want attention.   They do something outrageous to get their parent’s attention.   Bringing Russia’s waning military might to Venezuela, or having Nicaragua support a break-way province are symptomatic of deeper divisions in Latin America’s orphan status when it comes to getting U.S. attention or treasure.   This is no Cold War, but a realignment of power in the region that has resulted in some countries like Brazil taking on a leadership role in the vacuum created by the U.S.’s absence since the start of the war in Iraq.

As the U.S. begins its reengagement with the Americas after the November elections it should not assume a Rip Van Winkle approach to the challenges it will face in the months and years ahead.  This is not the Latin America of the early 1990s. Reacting to such churlish actions as most recently demonstrated by Venezuela or Nicaragua in ways reminiscent of Cold War policies will send a signal that it is business as usual in Washington. While the U.S. cannot assume that we can return to the status quo ante, we must also find a way to embrace the multipolarity of regional powers, embrace those who seek to support an agenda that was progressing well in support of democracy, civilian control of the armed forces, and greater economic liberalization with greater free trade and development.   If we respond to the immediate taunts that carry overtones of another era will only jeopardize further U.S. standing in the region. 

Comments

[diego277]

Thank you for your post, Heather -- it's so good to read words about Latin America, which has been largely forgotten by the Bush Administration. Here's what I believe is going on, after a consultation in late August with Jorge Taiana, the Secretary of State of Argentina, and with Agustin Colombo Sierra, Undersecretary of State of Argentina in charge of Latin American affairs: the whole region, including our presumed friends, such as President Uribe of Colombia, or President Bachelet of Chile -- everyone is tired of what the Hon. Taiana stated was: "the politics of confrontation" of the last eight years. Actions like those of Chavez, and Morales are demonstrations of protest against an arrogant and dismissive foreign policy by the Bush administration that has done great damage to our standing in the region. One note: neither Minister would speak much to the U.S. elections, save to say: "whomever wins, we are hoping for a change in the tone of United States diplomacy."

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