While Obama’s stance toward Latin America has been far from progressive recognizing coup governments of Honduras and Paraguay; signing free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, and Peru; and dragging feet on immigration reform – it is the “diet” imperialism to that of the neoconservative-led GOP.
What do I mean by “imperialism”? I mean the active protection and advancement of U.S. business interests over the sovereignty, security, and democracy of other nations using military or economic aggression and coercion. No matter what the human cost. Throughout history this has been bipartisan endeavor, yet some of the greatest incursions onto Latin American sovereignty have taken place with a Republican in the White House. Under Eisenhower, the CIA coup against Guatemala to benefit the United Fruit Company; under Nixon a coup against Salvador Allende in Chile; under Reagan the support of death squads in Nicaragua and El-Salvador; under George H.W. Bush the invasion of Panama; and in 2002 under Bush Jr., while the eyes of the world were on Afghanistan and Iraq, a coup in Venezuela.
