Any U.S. attempt to dictate to Latin America would set back democracy movement

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Commentary: Any U.S. attempt to dictate to Latin America would set back democracy movement
By Marjorie Cohn | Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune News Service

SAN DIEGO — Washington is becoming increasingly concerned that Iran is expanding its influence in Latin America. Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been working to strengthen ties between Iran and Venezuela, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Ecuador, Cuba and Brazil.

The question is should the Obama administration act swiftly to oppose these developments? Let us first consider why Iran, in the Middle East, wants to develop relationships with these Latin American countries. The alliance between Iran and Venezuela, two of the largest oil-producing nations, was the foundation for OPEC. With the exception of Nicaragua, oil is the key to the new liaisons between Iran and the Latin American nations.

In addition, most if not all of them, are concerned about unwanted U.S. intervention, either overtly or covertly within their national borders.

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega thinks the United States is planning to overthrow his government because it allowed last year's coup in Honduras that ousted President Manuel Zelaya and installed a government built on repression. Dozens of Honduran resistance leaders have been tortured and killed by death squads.

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