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Article: Forget Latin America: it's barely on Washington's radar. (Of Several Minds).
- Article from:
- Commonweal
- Article date:
- February 14, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Commonweal Foundation. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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If Latin America is not entirely going to hell these days, it seems to be suffering a prolonged stay in purgatory. Political chaos in Venezuela, financial debacle in Argentina, civil war in Colombia, and corruption seemingly everywhere are but the best-known of the region's many challenges. In the face of such tumultuous conditions in a neighboring region, many ask, Where is the United States? Writing in the New York Times last December 17, Nicholas D. Kristof decried U.S. neglect of Latin America. "If only Saddam Hussein ruled Brazil!" he lamented. "If only Hugo Chavez were developing nuclear weapons! Then Washington might pay attention to the fire next door ..."