By examining various events in recent history, this paper looks at whether the relationship between the U.S. and Latin America is a healthy relationship.
This paper discusses the relationship between the U.S. and Latin America, through discussion of the following case studies: Cuba and the U.S. trade embargo; Mexico and the use of U.S. branch plants (or maquiladoras); Colombia and the U.S.A. war on drugs; Brazil and the U.S. environmental standards in the rainforest; Panama Canal and U.S. actions regarding U.S. involvement; and the Chile-U.S. fair trade agreement. The paper finds that the relationship between the U.S. and Latin America is not a positive one for Latin America.
“The issue of Cuba has been a thorn in the side of the US since the Cuban missile crisis. Currently, the US imposes a trade embargo on Cuba, and all of its products. This, coupled with Russia’s disengagement from Cuba, has caused huge economic problems for Cuba, which is rich in natural resources, including sugar and tobacco. Without outlets for its products, Cuba is unable to maximize its profits from its natural resources, and remains a poor country. Yet, it is a country with an excellent health and education system, which is the envy of many developing (and even developed) nations: the socialist government ensures that those resources the country does have are used wisely, to the benefit of the majority of the people on the island.”