A Game of Simon Says: Latin America's Left Turn and Its Effects on U.S. Security

A little over 200,000 votes in Mexico's 2006 presidential election determined whether or not the United States might soon share a border with a potentially communist country. A closer look reveals Mexico was nearly another domino in a rash of leftism that is sweeping through Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). In fact, there are as many leftist countries in the LAC region today as there were in Eastern Europe at the height of the Cold War. This research will determine why leftism is on the rise and whether U. S. national security is being threatened. The cause is a combination of extreme inequality with regards to income per capita, an increased awareness among the populace as to their unequal situation, a poor display of U. S. foreign policy, and an increase in education levels throughout the region.