Congressional Research Service

Latin America and the Caribbean: Key Issues for the 114th Congress Congressional Research Service

Publisher Marketing: Geographic proximity has ensured strong linkages between the United States and the Latin American and Caribbean region, with diverse U. S. interests, including economic, political, and security concerns. U. S. policy toward the region under the Obama Administration has focused on four priorities: promoting economic and social opportunity; ensuring citizen security; strengthening effective democratic institutions; and securing a clean energy future. There was substantial continuity in U. S. policy toward the region during the first six years of the Obama Administration, which pursued some of the same basic policy approaches as the Bush Administration. Nevertheless, the Obama Administration made several significant policy changes, including an overall emphasis on partnership and shared responsibility. Moreover, just after the end of the 113th Congress in December 2014, President Obama unveiled a new policy approach toward Cuba that substantially broke with the long-standing U. S. sanctions-based policy and moved toward a policy of engagement. U. S. policy toward the region is conducted in the context of a Latin America that has become increasingly independent. The region has diversified its economic and diplomatic ties with countries outside the region. Over the past few years, several Latin American regional organizations have been established that do not include the United States, including the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States designed to boost regional integration and cooperation. Nevertheless, the United States still remains very much engaged in the region bilaterally and multilaterally.