U.S. and Soviet Relations with Argentina: Obstacles and Opportunities for the U. S. Army
Abstract
Argentina's position between the superpowers is discussed herein. Argentina is a nation that merits the attention of the United States. It is a large relatively developed and influential country within Latin America. Argentina is a leading nation within the Nonaligned Movement, and one of the world's largest debtor countries. It has cultivated an emerging arms industry. It is the Soviet Union's largest trade partner in Latin America, a fact that some analysts fear signifies growing Soviet leverage in what has long been considered the U.S. sphere of influence. Argentina requires export earnings to cover interest payments on its $56 billion in gross external debt and cannot afford to limit trade with nations because of their ideology. Like other Latin American nations, Argentina seeks to reduce its economic dependency on the United States. Because of U.S. holdings of Latin America debt and its influence in the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the United States has long been accused of being an economic imperialist, allegedly disregarding the sovereignty of its hemispheric neighbors. These accusations are the source of much anti-U.S. sentiment in Argentina, as has been the imposition of austerity measures which are designed to promote economic stability but result in shorter term economic hardships. Perhaps an even stronger source of anti-U.S. sentiment in Argentina was Washington's decision to support Britain in the 1982 Malvinas/Falklands War. These factors make the establishment of a pro-U.S. orientation in Argentina quite problematic. (kt)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 1989
- Accession Number
- ADA215810
Entities
People
- Rachel Schmidt
Organizations
- RAND Corporation