Friday, March 21, 2014

US - Laltin American Relations - Still Crap

Russia’s defense minister says the country is planning bases in Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua, and just last week, Putin’s national security team met to discuss increasing military ties in the region.

“They’re on the march,” Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) said at a Senate hearing earlier this month. “They’re working the scenes where we can’t work. And they’re doing a pretty good job.”

  The Hill
Yeah, I wonder why.

Our Latin American foreign policy hasn’t exactly been designed to win the favor of those countries.
The U.S. military says it has been forced to cut back on its engagement with military and government officials in Latin America due to budget cuts.
Yeah, that’s it. That’s why Latin America isn’t our friend. Our military budget is too low.
Iran has opened up 11 additional embassies and 33 cultural centers in Latin America while supporting the "operational presence" of militant group Lebanese Hezbollah in the region.

[...]

China is making a play for Latin America a well, and is now the fastest growing investor in the region, according to experts. Although their activity is mostly economic, they are also increasing military activity through educational exchanges.
Clearly we need a bigger military budget.
Some experts warn against being too alarmist, and say Russia, China and Iran do not have the ability or desire to project military power beyond their borders.

[...]

According to Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), there are 10 countries in Latin America that currently have no U.S. ambassador because they either haven’t been nominated yet or confirmed, a sign that the region is seen as a low priority.
WTF? ...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

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