Hey, Remember Us, Right Next Door?
 New York Times
 Rio De Janeiro — What will it take to get the United States to pay attention to Latin America? A resurgence of anti-American guerrillas?
That rueful question crosses minds here because, even as Washington worries about poverty and inequality generating new enemies for America in the Islamic world, it has shown much less urgency about similar problems festering in its own backyard.
When George Bush began his first term, Latin Americans had reason to hope that the pattern, evident since the collapse of the Soviet Union, would change. In a speech during the 2000 campaign, Mr. Bush had promised that, "should I become president, I will look south, not as an afterthought but as a fundamental commitment." After he took office, his first state visit was to Mexico.
Then, of course, came the Sept. 11 attacks. As Washington focused on Afghanistan and Iraq, the Western hemisphere quickly reverted to the ancillary role it played during much of the war on communism.
During the cold war, at least, there were moments when Cuba, Chile or Nicaragua riveted Washington's attention. But now, Latin Americans say their region is almost completely off Washington's radar screen.
At recent conferences in Mexico and Chile, Mr. Bush spoke of the power of trade to transform and unite the hemisphere. But as many Latin Americans see it, rather than seeking agreements that would spread and share prosperity, Washington is driving the hardest of bargains in trade talks and putting its commercial interests first.
In the meantime, to reduce their dependency and gain some leverage, Latin Americans have sought alternatives. Several countries now divide their trade almost equally among the United States, the European Union and Asia, and the Brazil-led Group of 20 has emerged to challenge Washington on issues from free trade to patents.
Last year, much of the region's economic growth came from booming trade with China, which is increasingly seen as a card to be played against American hegemony. In the absence of the respect Latin America has always craved most from the United States, money talks loudest, and at the moment, it is China, not America, that seems to be accomplishing the most with it. |
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News from Around the Americas | January 2005 
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