Colossus Challenged: The Struggle for Caribbean Influence

280 Pages·1982·30.413 MB·English

by  H. Michael Erisman, John D. Martz

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Colossus Challenged:
The Struggle for
Caribbean Influence
edited by H. Michael Erisman
and John D. Martz
Westview Press / Boulder, Colorado
Westview Special Studies on Latin America and the Carihhean
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or trans-
mitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without
permission in writing from the publisher.
Copyright © 1982 by Westview Press, Inc,
Published in 1982 in the United States of America by
Westview Press, Inc.
5500 Central Avenue
Boulder, Colorado 80301
Frederick A. Praeger, President and Publisher
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 82-60034
ISBN 0-86531-362-8
Composition for this book was provided by the editors
Printed and bound in the United States of America
Contents
List of Tables vii
Preface viii
1 COLOSSUS CHALLENGED: U.S. CARIBBEAN POLICY
IN THE 1980’S 1
H. Michael Erisman
Introduction 1
Caribbean Developments and U.S. Policy:
An Overview 3
Reagan’s Caribbean Policy: An Analysis .... 12
Reagan’s Caribbean Policy: A Critique 28
Conclusion 36
I
2 ysOVIET POLICY AND THE CRISIS IN THE
CARIBBEAN 47
Jiri Valenta
Introduction 47
A Historical Perspective 49
A Strategic Perspective 54
The USSR and Central America 54
Ideology 54
Politics 55
Security 57
Economics 59
Relations with Cuba and Soviet
Caribbean Policy 60
Soviet Tactics 63
The Nicaraguan Revolution 63
El Salvador 68
ill
IV
Conclusions 72
U.S. Interests and Options in the
Caribbean Basin 75
3 CUBA IN THE CARIBBEAN AND CENTRAL
AMERICA: LIMITS TO INFLUENCE 83
W. Raymond Duncan
Introduction 83
Cuban Intervention and International
Strains 84
Decline in Cuba’s Fortunes 85
Motivating Factors in Cuban Foreign
Policy 87
Evolution of Havana’s Recent Influence
Seeking 89
The Shift Toward Military Aid in the
Caribbean and Central America 92
Evolving Opportunities and Capabilities .... 93
Emerging Constraints on Cuban Foreign
Policy 95
Cuban-Soviet Ties 96
Cuban Capabilities Versus Developmental
Needs of the Region 99
Internal Political Characteristics of the
Caribbean and Central America 102
The Cuban Revolutionary Model: A
Waning Image 104
Changing Regional and International
Systems 106
Conclusions 108
4 IDEOLOGY AND OIL: VENEZUELA IN THE
CIRCUM-CARIBBEAN 121
John D. Martz
The Emergence of Venezuela’s Circum-
Caribbean Presence 122
The Social Christians in Power 126
Policy Interests 134
The Limits and Effectiveness of Oil
Diplomacy 140
5 MEXICO’S CENTRAL AMERICAN POLICY:
REVOLUTIONARY AND PRUDENTIAL DIMENSIONS 149
Edward J. Williams
Introduction 149
V
Mexico’s Importance To and Interest In
Central America 150
The Elements of Mexico’s Central American
Policy 153
The Revolutionary Dimension 153
The Prudential Dimension 156
Conclusion 164
6 SOME CENTRAL AMERICAN PERCEPTIONS AND
POSITIONS IN THE FACE OF BIG AND MIDDLE
POWER POLITICS IN THE CARIBBEAN 171
Neale J. Pearson
Introduction 171
Some of the Inter-Related Common Problems .. 172
The Impact of Regional Commodity and
Energy Agreements 182
The Heterogeneity of Political Cultures .... 182
International Links and the 1948 Costa
Rican Revolution 183
Panamanian Foreign Relations Under
Torrijos 184
Mexican Attempts to Court Different Central
American Regimes 186
Honduran Efforts to Manipulate Middle
Powers 188
The Potential Impact of Cuban, Mexican,
and Venezuelan Policies 190
Some Concluding Remarks 191
7 THE STRUGGLE FOR INFLUENCE AND SURVIVAL;
THE UNITED STATES-MICROSTATE
CARIBBEAN INTERFACE 197
W. Marvin Will
Introduction 197
The Caribbean: Many Faces 198
The Commonwealth Caribbean: A Profile ... 199
Problems in Paradise and Internal and
External Caribbean Politics 202
Potential for Relative Deprivation and
Declining Political Support 204
The IMF Crisis 205
Microstate Foreign Policy: The Politics
of Survival 206
The U.S.-Microstate Interface in the
U.S. ’’Mediterranean” 209
A Legacy of Dependency and
Domination 209
Cultural Dependency 209
VI
Political-Economic Domination in the
U.S. "Mediterranean" 210
From Cold War to Detente 211
The Reagan Corollary 212
Contemporary U.S. Interests and
Reagan Policy 212
Reaganomics in the Microstate
Caribbean 213
The Return to Confrontation 216
Long-Term U.S. Interests: Some Final
Reflections 218
8 CONCLUSION 229
H. Michael Erisman
John D. Martz
About the Contvi.hutovs 243
Index 247
Other Titles of Interest from Westview Press 26l
About the Book and Editors 262