Inter-American Relations
George W. Bush pledged to focus on Latin America during his second term but with the advent of 9/11 shifted the focus of his administration to the War on Terror, much to the neglect of the region. So much so that some analysts claim the US “lost” the region to left-leaning regimes that have opened it to the influence of adversarial powers like China and Russia, or even Iran. This has been aggravated by a rising wave of anti-American sentiment in the region, coupled with the perception that American aid is paltry and its regional policy is at best simplistic, focused solely on free trade and the war on drugs, and at worst a one-sided imposition. These trends have been focalized with the emergence of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela as the articulator of a counter-hegemonic strategy cast specifically as an alternative to the US model. Such an alternative focuses on regional integration and social solidarity, rejects the orthodoxy of free trade and free markets, and relies on Venezuela’s windfall from oil exports. Belatedly, the Bush administration sought to strengthen relations with regional counterweights and demonstrate good will through a trip to the region. Yet, the administration’s failure to gain ratification of pending free trade agreements and its aggressive stance on the criminalization and deportation of illegal migrants, have done little to foster improved relations. The arrival of president Obama, who has pledged a return to multilateralism and an embrace of the developing world, creates an auspicious moment for a possible shift in the tenor of Inter-American relations. Some key questions arising in this second research area are the following:
1.Is the Bolivarian alternative a viable model and a real threat to American interests in the region?
2.How might policy to the region evolve under the Obama administration?
3.How much of a threat does the emergence of “radical populism” represent and how might it influence policy?
4.Is it possible to envision relations in a multilateral context in which regional powers are treated more like partners?
5.What is the future role of international and regional institutions?
6.What are the threats of rising arms purchases in the region and a potential arms race between regional powers?
7.Is there a danger of the resurgence of military power? Of democratic slippage?
8.What is the best approach to deal with transnational security issues like gangs, the drug trade, and other forms of international crime?
9.What are the prospects for cooperation in the realms of energy and the environment?
