RECENT EVENTS SUGGEST that Barack Obama will be facing a veritable perfect storm of challenges in Latin America. The death toll in Mexico’s war on drugs is mounting. The future of Plan Colombia, which began as a U.S.-backed anti-drug initiative, is uncertain. Argentina may be on the verge of yet another economic collapse. The global financial crisis is affecting countries throughout the region. Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez is attempting to remove the constitutional limits on his power and is using his oil wealth to fund anti-American populists. Chávez is also pursuing a strategic partnership with Iran. In Nicaragua, the ruling Sandinista party stole recent municipal elections and has been harassing the opposition. In Cuba, the island’s Communist rulers are trying to preserve a creaking dictatorship and squash hopes of democratic transition.
Meanwhile, Russian and Chinese influence in Latin America is growing. Just last week, Russian warships arrived in Venezuela for a series of military exercises. The Russian fleet included a nuclear cruiser. As the Guardian noted, “It was Moscow’s first show of naval force in the region since the Cold War.”
