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#140 Soviet-Latin American Relations Under United States Regional Hegemony

By Augusto Varas

Abstract

In this paper, Varas analyzes diplomatic and political linkages between Latin American countries and the Soviet Union and examine how these linkages affect Latin American relations with the United States. His main hypothesis is that the Soviet- Latin American linkages are conditioned by United States- Soviet Union relations; that these relations are political and economically profitable for both parties; and that these developments pose no threat against the United States nor a reduction in its strategic security. Varas begins by describing historical Soviet- Latin American relationships, the role played by the Soviet Union in the foreign policy of Latin American nations, Soviet political involvement in the area, and how important Latin America is for the Soviet Union in shaping its relations with the United States. He also discusses  the increasing economic and commercial linkages between the Soviet Union and Latin America and United States perceptions of them. He concludes with predictions of future directions for Soviet-Latin American relations in the next decade.

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Latin America Program

The Wilson Center’s prestigious Latin America Program provides non-partisan expertise to a broad community of decision makers in the United States and Latin America on critical policy issues facing the Hemisphere. The Program provides insightful and actionable research for policymakers, private sector leaders, journalists, and public intellectuals in the United States and Latin America. To bridge the gap between scholarship and policy action, it fosters new inquiry, sponsors high-level public and private meetings among multiple stakeholders, and explores policy options to improve outcomes for citizens throughout the Americas. Drawing on the Wilson Center’s strength as the nation’s key non-partisan policy forum, the Program serves as a trusted source of analysis and a vital point of contact between the worlds of scholarship and action.  Read more