The importance of the liberal world order for Latin America is too great for the region to sit back and allow the Trump administration to damage it. It is time to step up and defend it.
Even in the countries the administration is supposedly focused on, the U.S. State Department has been MIA. Whether in appointments, announcements or vision, Tillerson and his team have left an unprecedented vacuum.
Trinidad and Tobago is, on paper, one of the Caribbean’s success stories. But the inter-related problems of gangs, corruption, and radical Islam plague the island nation.
Mexico wrapped up the summer with an agenda heavy on the U.S. with the second round of NAFTA negotiation talks, the 5th State of the Union and a trip to China.
Bolivia’s current foreign policy stands out, characterized by a fierce loyalty to Cuba and Venezuela and a recent friendship with countries like Russia, Iran and China.
While President Trump affirms that the U.S. and Argentina are going to be “great friends,” ties with South America’s second largest economy are fraying.
Not only was Trump’s threat a diplomatic disaster, it also doesn’t make military or strategic sense as a use of U.S. military power.
In Latin America Vice President Pence finds himself in a role now familiar to many White House officials: telling leaders abroad that they should ignore his boss’ bluster. Truth is there’s often little change from the past.
Yes, Pence is trying to clear up the damage done by President Trump’s clumsy remarks. But let’s not lose sight of the countries the vice president is visiting and the vice president’s rhetoric on his listening tour—even after he cut it short.
Despite the rhetoric of the Trump administration, the goals of the U.S. and Mexican governments are more aligned than one might think. Now both countries have to get their acts together.
