Washington -
Successive US administrations have spent nearly $3 trillion on their wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and about $55 billion to support Ukraine in a matter of several months.
On the other hand, a budget of no more than $2.2 billion was allocated in 2022 for all countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, although they are geographically closest and have the greatest impact on the daily lives of Americans.
Although 63 million Americans (19% of the total population) have their origins in Latin America and the Caribbean, this is not reflected in Washington's dealings with the affairs of this region that are very important to American interests.
The American neglect of this region is evident in the coverage of the American media, or during the discussions of the various congressional committees, or the studies of prestigious research centers, at the expense of the intense interest in the issues of the Far and Middle East and the European continent.
Agricultural workers return every night to their homes on the Mexican side of the border with the United States (Al-Jazeera)
Historical chasm and "contempt"
Talking about the gap between Washington and the Americas is not a recent phenomenon at all.
In 2006, Hakeem Peter, president of the American Dialogue Foundation, wrote in Foreign Affairs, warning of Washington's "loss of the Americas" (Latin and the Caribbean).
And he considered that Washington's relations with this important region do not deviate from interest only in stopping immigration and controlling drug smuggling.
From here, Mexican President Lopez Obrador's sharp words directed at US President Joe Biden about Washington's disregard for the Americas were nothing but a reflection of a reality that seems difficult to change in the near future.
Obrador called on his US counterpart, Joe Biden, at the start of a bilateral summit in Mexico City the day before yesterday, Monday, for the United States to end its "contempt" for Latin America.
"It is time to end this oblivion, this abandonment, this disdain for Latin America and the Caribbean," he added.
Washington's interests in the "Americas"
Years ago, a group of 23 high-ranking personalities, including a number of senators, academics and analysts at think tanks, identified 5 vital American interests for Washington in the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, as follows:
Preventing, deterring, and reducing the risk of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons attacks on the American homeland.
Ensure the stability of Washington's allies and their active cooperation with the United States.
Prevent the emergence of hostile great powers or failed states on the borders of the United States.
Ensuring the continuity and stability of the major global systems (trade and financial markets, energy supply, and the environment).
Establishing fruitful relations, consistent with US national interests, with countries that could become strategic adversaries alongside China and Russia.
Many peoples and governments of the countries of the Americas view Washington's interests as an update of the "Monroe Doctrine", which the United States adopted in the 1820s, according to which any attempt by any country to control or suppress a country in the Western Hemisphere will be seen as a hostile action against the United States.
Biden (left) faced sharp questions from Mexican President Lopez Obrador (right) during the North American Leaders Summit in Mexico City (Reuters)
How long does ignoring last?
American countries criticize Washington for ignoring them compared to the rest of the world, while Washington considers that the scope of its international obligations does not allow it the luxury of ignoring world issues in favor of the issues of the Americas.
During his meeting with Biden, the Mexican president abandoned diplomacy and harshly criticized Washington, saying that "the United States has not done much to support development in Latin America since President John F. Kennedy's initiative known as the Alliance for Progress in the early 1960s," before adding that " This is the moment for us to decide to get rid of this disregard, this disdain for Latin America and the Caribbean."
Biden responded forcefully, saying that his country "provides more foreign aid than any other country ... not only to half the globe, but all over the world."
"Unfortunately, our role is not limited to the Western Hemisphere. It is in the middle of Europe, in Asia, in the Middle East, in Africa," he added.
The United States erected an iron wall on its border with Mexico to prevent the influx of irregular immigrants (Al-Jazeera)
worried about China
Washington worries about the growing Chinese presence in Latin American and Caribbean countries.
Some members of Congress see China as the most serious challenge to US interests in the region since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
They cite the vast financial resources that China promises to bring to Latin America, its growing military ties in the region, and its apparent political ambitions there as potential threats to the long-standing pillar of US policy in the hemisphere, the Monroe Doctrine, according to Rebecca Bell Chavez, president of the Forum on American Relations. .
Chavez says that China's interest in Latin America is large and expanding, and the region has become a vital source of raw materials and foodstuffs for China.
In the past six years, Chinese imports from Latin America have grown more than 6-fold.
China's entry into the Americas has become the most important issue for Washington in its vision of the affairs of the Western Hemisphere, which was clearly demonstrated in the Biden administration's national security strategy, which was issued last October.
According to Eric Farnsworth, vice president of the Americas Research Society in Washington, many experts in Latin America see China as a "new imperialist power" and the United States as the "old imperialist".
Beijing seeks to support its global ambitions through a strong presence in the Americas region.
In addition, its close relationship with countries boycotted by Washington, such as Venezuela and Cuba, allows China to extend its economic influence, in addition to promoting the model of governance it applies based on internal security provisions and state control over society through advanced technology and artificial intelligence.
Farnsworth says, "While China seeks more trade with the region and talks about building bridges, the United States does not stop building a wall on its southern border, and is strict about freedom of trade and the flexibility of movement of goods and money between it and the countries of the Americas."
Strategic tips
Despite the efforts of the Biden administration to renew the strategy for dealing with Latin America and the Caribbean, no one expects a quick success in bridging the rift soon.
The Summit of American States, which was held last June in Los Angeles, did not bridge the gap of mistrust in American policies.
From here, a study by a number of experts at the US Institute of Peace proposes a three-dimensional strategy that requires a change in the way Washington looks at the Western Hemisphere, which is:
Washington must realize that the countries of the region are different among themselves
Washington deals with 30 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean without realizing the differentiation of each country, but rather views these countries as a source of immigration threats, cross-border crime, weak institutions, corruption and the growing influence of China.
The study called on Washington to take the trouble to understand the deep differences between the countries of the region, which would facilitate opening a better horizon for dealing with the region.
The region is looking for dialogue, not guidance
The American elite is dominated by former National Security Adviser John Bolton’s 2019 statement that “the Monroe Doctrine is alive and well,” a deep reflection of the Washington elite’s belief in its right to lead the region, a perspective that is notoriously outdated.
In today's world, Washington should not try to define hemispheric priorities, especially since the people of the region view recent initiatives on regional immigration and U.S. aid as primarily addressing Washington's concerns about its borders and commercial interests.
It's time to look beyond ideological differences
All countries in the Americas reject Washington's approach to Cuba and Venezuela, and Washington should consider and respect differing positions, rather than using them as a justification for punishing a country or downgrading relations with it, according to the Institute for Peace study.
Washington has imposed sanctions on Cuba since the 1950s, at a time when it imposed sanctions on Venezuela following the success of socialist parties in seizing power in 2014.