About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

1 1 (May 24, 2021)

handle is hein.crs/govedkk0001 and id is 1 raw text is: C $$ I Seseanh Sen, In~j the A~jk~l4 ~ sut.~ 1914 Updated May 24, 2021 Latin America and the Caribbean: U.S. Policy Overview U.S. interests in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) are diverse and include economic, political, security, and humanitarian concerns. Geographic proximity has ensured strong economic linkages between the United States and LAC, with the United States a major trading partner and source of foreign investmentfor many regional countries. Free-trade agreements (FTAs)have augmented U.S. economic relations with 11 countries in the region. LAC also is a large source of U.S. immigration, both authorized and unauthorized; economic and security conditions are major factors driving migration trends. Curbing the flow of illicit drugs fromLAC has been a key component of U.S. relations with theregion for decades. The flow of illicit drugs-including heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanylfromMexico and cocaine from Colombia-poses risks to U.S. public health and safety. Since 2000, Colombia has received support through Plan Colombia and its successor programs. The United States alsohas soughtto forge partnerships with other countries to combat drug trafficking and relatedviolence and to advance citizen security, including through the Mdrida Initiative, begun in 2007 to support Mexico; the Central America Regional Security Initiative (CARSI), begun in 2008; and the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), begun in 2009. Another long-standing component of U.S. policy has been support for strengthened democratic governance and the rule of law, including initiatives to support civil society and promote human rights. Although many countries in the region have made strides in democratic political development, several face considerable challenges. Increasing Challenges in the Region Over the past several years, the quality of democracy has eroded in a number of countries in the region, along with public s atisfaction with how democracy is working. In addition to Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua-allruled by authoritarian governments repressing the political opposition-humanrights groups have expressed concerns about democratic backsliding in several countries, including Brazil, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, and Peru. Many countries in LAC experienced social unrest in 2019 fueled by such politicalfactors as weakdemocratic institutions, politicized judicial systems, corruption scandals, andhigh levels of crime and violence and by such economic factors as declining or stagnant growth rates andhighlevels of income inequality and poverty. Since 2020, the Coronavirus Dis ease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had widespread public health, economic, and politicaleffects in the region. On May21,2021, the region surpassed 1 million deaths (29% of deaths worldwide), and vaccination rates remain low for many countries in the region. The International Monetary Fund estimated a regional economic decline of 7% in 2020, with almost every country in reces sion. As a result, poverty and inequality have increased throughout the region, and many countries may struggle with protracted economic recoveries. The economic setback associated with the pandemic contributed to increased protests in the regionin late 2020 and early 2021. Beginning in late April2021, mass protests in Colombia against a pandemic-related tax reform turned into broader anti-government protests. Trump Administration Policy Under the Trump Administration, U.S. relations with LAC generally moved toward a more confrontational approach, especially regarding efforts to curb irregular immigration from the region, compared with past Administrations' emphasis onpartnership. FromFY2018 to FY2021, the Trump Administration's proposed foreign aid budget requests would have cut assistance to the region considerably, but Congress generally rejected those requests by providing significantly more assistance than requested. To deter increased unauthorized migration from Central America, the Adminis tration us ed a variety of immigration policy tools, as well as aid cuts and threats of increased U.S. tariffs and taxes on remittances. The Administration also imposed broad economic sanctions on Venezuela, which Congress generally supported, and significantly increased sanctions on Cuba. According to Gallup and Pew Research Centerpolls, negativeviews of U.S. leadership in the region increased markedly during the Trump Administration. Biden Adm inistration Policy Thus far, much of the Biden Administration's focus in LAC has been on immigration and Central America. President Joe Biden has ended many ofthe previous Administration's restrictive immigration policies, while contending with a large increase in the number of undocumented Central American and Mexican migrants seeking to enter the United States. The Administration is preparing strategies to address the root causes of Central American migration and has indicated that it intends to request $4 billion in as s is tance to Central America over a four-year period, including $861 million as part of the FY2022 foreign assistance budgetrequest. In March 2021, President Biden tasked Vice PresidentKamala Harris with overseeing efforts with Central America and Mexico. On Venezuela, the Biden Administration continues to pressure the government of Nicolas Maduro through sanctions and maintains thatthe United States is committed to working multilaterally to bring about a return to democracy. In a shift fromthe previous Administration, the Secretary of Homeland Security granted temporary protected status (TPS) to Venezuelans in the United States in March 2021.

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most