Reagan and Central America

he Reagan foreign policy in Central America has been met with considerable apprehension by many leaders of this volatile region. Instead of building upon the popular themes of self-determination, economic and political democracy, and a respect for human rights, the new administration has negatively defined our relationship to Central America in terms ofan East-West struggle and has clouded our commitment to human and economic freedom in the region. In contrast, Mexico and Venezuela have developed a cooperative policy promoting the stability, independence, and economic growth of the region. Time, oil, and leadership have given them significant new impact in the region. That impact provides a standard for measuring, and an alternative to, U.S. foreign policy. U.S. foreign policy in Central America has always run the risk of being counterproductive, but now the United States faces the new threat ofbecoming an anachronism. Counterproductive foreign policies activate old alienations, isolating the United States. Together with the leadership of Mexico and Venezuela, alienation caused by American policy mistakes can, over time, leave the United States eclipsed in the region.