Monday, January 25, 2010

 

Gallup: Opinion Briefing: Latin America’s Leftists

 

By Steve Crabtree and Jesus Rios

 

Issue at Hand: Strengthening U.S. alliances with Latin American countries in light of the region's increasingly leftist politics.

 

As in other regions around the world, the United States currently has strained relations with several of Latin America's leaders and an image problem among many of its populations. The perceived failure in the 1990s of "Washington Consensus" prescriptions for market-driven reforms set the stage for a leftward shift in the region. The flag-bearer for this trend has been Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez, who over the past few years has fed Latin Americans a steady diet of anti-U.S. rhetoric, regularly calling for resistance against the U.S. "empire."

 

Obama's Stance: Barack Obama's general approach to Latin America seems to be one of cautious engagement. During last year's presidential campaign, Obama criticized the Bush administration's "negligent" policy toward Latin America, saying it is one reason "demagogues" like Chavez have been successful in the region. Obama has indicated he is willing to open a dialogue with such U.S. adversaries as Chavez and Cuba's President Raul Castro -- but he has also opposed the proposed U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement, citing ongoing violence against Colombian labor leaders.

 

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For the complete Gallup Poll article, please link to Opinion Briefing: Latin America’s Leftists, Gallup, Jan. 21, 2010; reprinted with permission