On the same day that American voters elected Barack Obama the 44th president of the United States, Bolivian President Evo Morales showed U.S. narcotics agents in his country the door. Morales gave the Drug Enforcement Agency three months to pack up and leave Bolivia, accusing DEA operatives of "political espionage" and inciting violence in the country. The U.S. strongly denies the accusation. Yet the move is just one of a string of recent incidents that have capped nearly a decade of deteriorating relations between governments in Latin America and Washington under the Bush administration. Rapid changes in the political makeup of the region have been met with a decidedly confrontational stance from Washington as across Latin America national electorates turned to the left. Meanwhile, rivals of the U.S. -- in particular Iran and Russia -- have been happy to step in and continue to make inroads at Washington's expense.
Obama’s Latin America Policy Must Reflect ‘New Reality’
