Volume XXI – Number 1
Richard A. Nuccio
Abstract: The political alignment of Latin American countries during the mid to late 20th century was of great concern for multiple presidential administrations. After the US’s loss in the Vietnam war, many US officials were worried that newly developing countries become communist. This article argues that democracy has succeeded and prevailed in El Salvador, despite failures to implement it in other countries. During JFK’s administration, he made the declaration that foreign policy should focus on creating “decent democracies”, and during political unrest of El Salvador in 1980, the Reagan administration lost sight of JFK’s declaration. However, once El Salvador’s government realized that it is important to defeat communist agendas with democracy, rather than to simply destroy them, it became more efficient and effective when executing policies. And although the country still struggles with unity, it is much more harmonious than Nicaragua, for example. Nicaragua’s struggles with consensus has inhibited the government’s ability to provide change for its citizens. The Sandinistas currently hold power in the country and will likely not be removed from office until opponents can convince the public to vote for different ideologies. Regarding US involvement with solving dilemmas in Nicaragua, there are many solutions that can be offered, but each solution will take time and resources. And although the situations in Central America can cause problems for the US’s international agenda, their achievement in other parts of the world, such as the Middle East, can offer some insight into how to navigate these issues.
Keywords: Latin America, El Salvador, Communism, U.S. interests
