ABSTRACT
Latin America has played an important role in Soviet-Third World relations since the early 1960s. Fidel Castro's challenge to United States regional domination and his claims to a leadership role in the Third World generated considerable Soviet enthusiasm about Latin America—in spite of the region's relatively low priority on the Soviet foreign policy agenda. In Latin America Mikhail Gorbachev's "new thinking" has produced a redefinition of Soviet interests and policies with an emphasis on peaceful resolution of regional conflict and international cooperation to reduce tension. Moscow's policy toward Latin America in the period before Gorbachev was similar to its policies throughout the Third World. Gorbachev's "new thinking" soon became apparent in Latin America. Gorbachev's emergence as Soviet leader coincided with the development of trends in Latin America that were favorable to reinvigorated Soviet-Latin American ties. Gorbachev has communicated Soviet interest in a peaceful political settlement of Central America's conflict.
