This article is adapted from AQ’s special report on the 2024 U.S. presidential election and its impact on Latin America
In at least one way, it does not matter who wins the U.S. election: Latin America and the Caribbean require greater care and partnership with their northern neighbor.
Latin America and the Caribbean can be the U.S.’s greatest partner and ally—but the U.S. can also be Latin America’s greatest partner and ally. We share the hemisphere, but of equal importance, we have a shared culture. This can be built upon to cement a deep and reliable friendship that transcends administrations in the U.S. and Latin America.
Both the national security rationale and the business case are irrefutable. The continent is home to so many resources, from strategic minerals to energy resources both traditional and alternative, as well as vast agricultural lands.
The human resource pool (both skilled and unskilled) is huge, including an extraordinary and innovative entrepreneurial sector. There is already interest from many Latin American and industry leaders to create technology hubs and service centers in the region. And as we look to consolidate the supply chain based on security rather than just cost, the Western Hemisphere should be viewed as the strategic location not only for the minerals, but also inserted into the manufacturing supply chain for the finished product.
Whoever wins the U.S. election, together with our partners in the region, needs to rethink the meaning of “hemispheric security.” Every country (even Chile) is dealing with security issues. We need a shared strategy based on trust and technology to deal with these enormous transcontinental risks. This includes working as partners to ensure a democratic continent because, without this, immigration will only rise further both in the U.S. and across Latin America. Cooperation, coordination and leadership are urgently required.
So, for whoever triumphs in November, both challenge and enormous opportunity await on the horizon to consolidate shared economic prosperity, security and democracy in our hemisphere.
NEW AQ: What the U.S. Election Means for Latin America
In AQ’s new special report, former advisers from the Trump and Biden administrations write on the impact another term for their onetime boss would have on the region.
In the Americas, Democrats’ “Soft Power Matters”
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Trump’s Vision: “Make the Americas Grow Again”
A second Trump term would focus on reviving hemispheric economic growth through nearshoring and other policies, writes a former adviser.
Timeline: U.S.-Latin America Relations Under Trump and Biden
AQ highlights the major moments in hemispheric relations under the two presidents, from USMCA to Biden’s border action.
