Obama’s big opportunity in Latin America

(Photo: Victor R. Caivano AP)

President Barack Obama has never been terribly interested in Latin America, but the new political winds in Argentina, Venezuela and the latest events in Brazil offer him a golden opportunity to improve U.S. relations with the region.

Last week’s inauguration of center-right President Mauricio Macri in Argentina after 12 years of leftist anti-American governments, alongside the landslide opposition victory in Venezuela’s Dec. 6 legislative elections have changed South America’s political map. Venezuela’s “Bolivarian” revolution and its political allies are now on the defensive, after more than a decade of dominating the region’s political agenda.

And Brazil, which until now was an unconditional ally of Venezuela, is gradually shifting away from its leftist foreign policy.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff is facing an impeachment in Congress, and badly needs the support from legislators who are critical of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s abuses. The last thing she wants is to further antagonize the very members of congress whose votes may decide whether she stays in office.

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