ABSTRACT
The Ronald Reagan administration had correctly assessed US public opinion that remained predictably muted in the face of Washington's rejection of World Court rulings when it stood accused of mining Nicaraguan waters. In the respect the nations of the Western Hemisphere differed from other regions in the world, where fascination with the extraordinary US economic growth cycle and the stratospheric level of the stock market muted past criticisms of its foreign policy. George W. Bush continued the ritual of making Latin America a personal priority. Some early Latin American commentators initially thought that in his "rapprochement" with Mexico Bush might follow in LBJ's footsteps, and the Mexican—US talks become the bilateral relationship that the US president felt most comfortable with. Trade and economic considerations alone make a compelling argument for future administrations to propel Latin America to a commanding place in its foreign policy scheme.
