America should look more often in its own backyard

by Juan Tokatlian *

In what has become tradition in US-Latin American relations, Washington once again seems annoyed with trends on its southern doorstep. The new bout of irritation with inter-American politics is not the result of conspiracy or dogma. Rather, it is the logical product of a plain truth: the abysmal disparity of power between the US and the Latin American region. This has generated a particular mode of diplomatic disorder: the "frustrated superpower" syndrome.

The syndrome can be seen in this familiar pattern: a group of countries or a region is deemed irrelevant by a major power, because it is considered "safe" or non-threatening. The region may also be considered unimportant due to cultural bias and/or because of its negligible material significance. Thus, the area receives intermittent attention. In Latin America's case, Washington does not perceive the region in a categorically negative way; it is not viewed as an enemy but as a dependent counterpart. The bureaucratic politics around "low value" areas are largely a rerun of past scenarios. Occasionally, the hope of a breakthrough raises expectations that the region somehow will be "transformed". But disappointment ensues. Once and again, the same time-tested, largely ineffective strategy is employed and the outcome is identical: no major achievements, no great transformation. Then frustration sets in. In the end, the superpower really has no intention of rethinking its relations with that region. A new cycle begins and a larger frustration looms just over the horizon.

Latin America is now undergoing profound changes, both encouraging and disturbing. Just a decade ago it was unthinkable that a leftist worker such as Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Brazil, or a socialist woman such as Michelle Bachelet in Chile, or a radical indigenous leader such as Evo Morales in Bolivia, could win democratic elections. The explanation for their rise, from Colombia to Argentina, lies in a growing understanding throughout the region that it needs stronger, more competent and legitimate political institutions rather than the corrupt courtesan states that it has been lumped with. Since the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks on America, Latin America has been one of the only regions free of al-Qaeda-style mega-terrorism - thanks mainly to vigorous security policies. No regional government aspires to nuclear proliferation. Yet, Latin American elites remain unresponsive towards the poor; the level of inequality is obscene; political polarisation is widening; mistrust of Washington is growing; and the rule of law is not entirely guaranteed.

Latin America has been - and still is - responsible for its own failures. But the US exacerbates them severely. For one thing, Washington has no imaginative strategy to deal with contemporary US-Latin American relations - leaving potential for further deterioration in inter-American relations. Adding to this is the resurgence of a strongly ideological perspective in the Bush White House; during the cold war, the threat was communism, now it is radical populism. The perpetuation of a failed drug war is another expression of continuity without innovation. The temptation to tolerate, or even promote, "benevolent" coups was noticeable in Venezuela in 2002, Haiti in 2004 and Ecuador in 2005. The rationale for low intensity conflict persists unaltered in Colombia. The absence of sensibility is clear in the neglect of honest debate on the region's social ills. In short, US behaviour remains fixated on myopic unilateralism and coercive diplomacy.

The region and the US need to concentrate on what could be called an agenda of "four Ds": democracy, debt, development and drugs - all of which can be handled with creativity and effectiveness. It is urgent to revitalise, politically and materially, the Organization of American States as the key forum to tackle these issues. Washington should accept a mode of concert diplomacy with leading, intermediate Latin American powers in order to deal with ongoing crisis in the area; especially in the Andean ridge. Central to this would be a renewed Atlantic triangle - the US, Latin America and the European Union - to manage certain security-related questions. It is also necessary to stimulate "citizen diplomacy" - people to people - around the Americas; something that may improve US-Latin American understanding.

If a stable, prosperous Latin America is vital to US interests, then it is crucial for Washington to abandon the underlying prejudices and policies that have consistently deepened the frustrated superpower syndrome.

* The writer is director of political science and international relations at Universidad de San Andres (Argentina)

Source: Financial Times