ABSTRACT
The end of the Cold War has triggered a debate over the future of United States' relations with Latin America. Underlying this debate is a shared assumption that US policy towards the hemisphere in the post-war period has been driven primarily by security concerns. Now that the Cold War is over, some analysts have concluded that Latin America will hold little interest for the US compared with the Soviet Union and Europe, where far more interesting and important changes are occurring. Others argue that geography is destiny. Problems involving drugs, illegal immigration and the environment will require Washington's continued attention as well as its resources. The US will also want to take advantage of new opportunities for increased hemispheric trade in order to strengthen both its own economy and those of the new Latin American democracies.
