Lawmakers and Officials Urge Biden to Make Latin America a Priority
The Pentagon has made clear it has no appetite for a new military entanglement in Latin America, following dual crises in Haiti and Cuba this week. Yet lawmakers, former officials and experts are calling on President Joe Biden to devote more resources to a region they say has been long neglected by the United States.
Top military officials at U.S. Southern Command have warned for years that Russia, China and other bad actors are rushing to fill the power vacuum left by Washington’s deprioritization of Central and South America in favor of faraway places such as the Middle East.
Now, the shocking assassination of the Haitian president and historic unrest in Cuba are a stark reminder of how quickly tumult can erupt in America’s own backyard — and the potential security ramifications for the entire region.
