Hemispheric Power and Progressive Waves: Rethinking U.S.–Latin America Relations

This paper examines how U.S. foreign policy responded to the Latin American Pink Tide. While Washington has historically sought to shape political outcomes in the region, progressive governments in Argentina, Brazil, and Venezuela challenged long-standing U.S. assumptions about hemispheric alignment. This scenario in the 2003-2010 period still reverberates today. The second Trump administration intensified ideological confrontation through sanctions, diplomatic isolation, and explicit support for conservative actors. By comparing U.S. strategies across key cases, the paper evaluates whether the Pink Tide marked a shift in regional autonomy or whether U.S. policy continues to operate through established patterns of influence. The analysis contributes to understanding evolving power dynamics in the Western Hemisphere.