LATIN AMERICA THE TERM, LATIN AMERICA REFERS TO A VAST REGION THAT WAS HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY SPANISH & PORTUGUESE SETTLERS. LATIN AMERICA CONSISTS OF: CENTRAL AMERICA SOUTH AMERICA CARIBBEAN ISLANDS

THE U.S. IN LATIN AMERICA: BIG BROTHER OR BULLY? DURING THE COLD WAR THE U.S. WANTED TO CONTAIN THE SPREAD OF COMMUNISM IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE. BUT MANY PEOPLE IN LATIN AMERICA SAW SOCIALISM AS THE ANSWER TO ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS. THE U.S. SUPPORTED ANTI-COMMUNIST FORCES THROUGHOUT THE REGION, INCLUDING CORRUPT DICTATORS.

BATTLING COMMUNISM THE U.S. HAD A LONG HISTORY OF INTERVENING IN LATIN AMERICAN AFFAIRS THE U.S. RETURNED TO A POLICY OF INTERVENTION DURING THE COLD WAR: SPARRED WITH FIDEL CASTRO OF CUBA IN 1961 (BAY OF PIGS) & 1962 (MISSILE CRISIS) U.S. SENT TROOPS TO: GRENADA IN 1983 PANAMA IN 1989 HAITI IN 1994

CRISIS IN HAITI IN 1990 JEAN-BERTRAND ARISTIDE BECAME THE 1ST DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED PRESIDENT SINCE 1950. IN 1991 THE HAITIAN MILITARY ARRESTED ARISTIDE & EXPELLED HIM FROM HAITI. THE U.S. AND O.A.S. IMPOSED ECONOMIC SANCTIONS ON THE ALREADY POOR NATION, DEMANDING HIS RETURN.

CRISIS IN HAITI THOUSANDS OF HAITIAN REFUGEES HEADED FOR THE U.S. ONLY TO BE RETURNED BY THE U.S. COAST GUARD. THIS POLICY WAS CRITICIZED BY MANY. IN 1994 THE U.N. AUTHORIZED THE USE OF FORCE TO END THE CRISIS. ON THE EVE OF A THREATENED U.S. INVASION, THE MILITARY RULERS AGREED TO STEP DOWN.

U.S. - LATIN AMERICAN RELATIONS SINCE THE END OF THE COLD WAR RELATIONS BETWEEN THE U.S. & LATIN AMERICA HAVE BEEN DRIVEN MAINLY BY: IMMIGRATION POLICY TRADE AGREEMENTS DRUG CONTROL POLICIES

U.S. - LATIN AMERICAN TRADE RELATIONS IN 1991 THE U.S., CANADA, & MEXICO NEGOTIATED THE NORTH AMERICAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT (NAFTA) IDEA WAS TO INCREASE TRADE BY ENDING TARIFFS PRESIDENT CLINTON SAID IT WOULD EXPAND U.S. EXPORTS & REDUCE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION UNIONS SAID IT WOULD COST U.S. JOBS BY FORCING COMPANIES TO COMPETE WITH FIRMS NOT BOUND BY THE SAME LABOR & ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS

U.S. - LATIN AMERICAN IMMIGRATION 300,000 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ENTER THE U.S. OR OVERSTAY THEIR VISAS EACH YEAR 56% OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TODAY COME FROM MEXICO SOLUTIONS DEBATE: CONSERVATIVES: PUNISH OFFENDERS, INCLUDING TRAFFICKERS & EMPLOYERS, AND INCREASE BORDER ENFORCEMENT LIBERALS: PROVIDE A PATH TO CITIZENSHIP FOR THOSE ALREADY HERE AND RAISE THE STANDARD OF LIVING IN PLACES LIKE MEXICO TO DIMINISH THE ECONOMIC MOTIVATION F OR IMMIGRATION

DRUG TRAFFICKING PREVENTING THE SHIPMENT OF NARCOTICS FROM LATIN AMERICA HAS BEEN A MAJOR GOAL OF THE U.S. IN RECENT YEARS. THE DRUG ENFORCEMENT AGENCY (DEA) HAS SENT AGENTS TO LATIN AMERICA TO WORK WITH LOCAL SECURITY FORCES. U.S. PERSONNEL HAVE: COORDINATED RAIDS ON FARMS & PROCESSING FACTORIES PARTICIPATED IN THE ARREST OF DRUG TRAFFICKERS