A New Strategy for Latin America

Latin America has undeservably occupied the cellar in national foreign policy and strategy councils during United States' history. The exception has been crisis response when US political or military perception indicated a real or imagined threat to US security interests. These have spanned the cultural spectrum of economic, political, and military interests. Today's realities of decreasing federal budget accounts and increasing congressional oversight, combined with historic changes sweeping Latin America, pose a serious question, challenge, and strategic alternative: (1) The QUESTION -- is Latin America still important to US national security interests?; (2) If so, what is the CHALLENGE facing US security agencies in a low intensity conflict environment?; (3) What strategic ALTERNATIVE to current US efforts would prove superior in obtaining regional US national security objectives? This article attempts to provide those answers.