Ideas on Policy toward Latin America for the New Administration
Abstract
The new administration that assumes power on 20 January 2009 will face suboptimal relations with a region that is paradoxically quite important to the United States, yet often neglected. Years of focusing policy on the Middle East and certain U.S. diplomatic decisions have complicated the already problematic relations the United States has with many of its Latin American neighbors. This paper will briefly examine the history of U.S.-Latin American relations, and describe somewhat more comprehensively the events of the past 8 years and the resulting current situation. Next, it will offer an optimal solution, albeit costly and unlikely. Finally, it will offer some suggestions as to how the incoming administration can improve the U.S. Government's relationships with Latin American nations using existing programs. These suggestions call for integrating all elements of national power -- diplomatic, informational, military, and economic (DIME) -- to strengthen the nation's ties with its Latin American neighbors.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 24, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA498091
Entities
People
- Brian J. Butcher
Organizations
- United States Army War College