The inauguration of Donald Trump as US president in January 2017 has presented important challenges for the relationship between the US and Latin America. Since the 1990s, this relationship has been largely based on the deepening of economic ties and the promotion of more cordial diplomatic relations; as well as a reduction of US interventionism in the region.
Introduction
The administration led by President Barack Obama (2009-2017) arguably represented the zenith of positive US-Latin American relations, with the Obama government opting not to push an aggressive free market agenda – as was the case under the preceding government led by George W. Bush (2001-2009) – and largely avoiding diplomatic conflicts, notwithstanding some provocation from the region’s left-wing regimes, notably Venezuela. (The region’s left-wing governments were also critical of the US response to the ouster of the Honduran president, Manuel Zelaya, in June 2009).