Why Latin America Is Important

Is it necessary for Obama to tour Latin America while bombs explode over Tripoli? Yes, says Mauricio Cardenas. “Obama’s trip south is important for long-term U.S. interests, and long overdue. In today’s economic order, where the G-20 is essentially a board of directors with only minority shareholders, the United States needs strong allies. Brazil is the ideal partner: large among the emerging countries, democratic, free of internal tensions, and without enemies. Cultivating that relationship is essential if Washington wants to continue to exercise leadership in the region.”