Does the west help or hurt Latin America?

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Mika F

The so called "western countries", that are supposed to help and support their neighbors who are not considered "developed countries", tend to ignore them. The European Countries and the United States, treat the Latin American countries as if they were their 'poor brothers', their 'back yard'. They take advantage of them using their wealth for their own benefit without leaving much to the country that produces that wealth.
And then, they expect support and unconditional loyalty from them (after all they are in the same part of the world!!!) but when it's their time to help them... they just don't do it. They find all sorts of excuses not to help them. Actually, they make their decisions based on stories they hear or they read in the media, usually written by people who have no clue whatsoever what is happening in those countries. People who call themselves journalists that make up stories they think will be interesting to their readers.
Politicians in the "rich" countries want to believe all the bad things they're told about the Latin American countries. Very few have bothered to travel there and see in person what's going on. It's a real shame.
And then they complain why people in the Latin American countries are not crazy about them, why they do not worship them.. and why they actually tend to dislike them a lot.

Funny how things work..
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Obama is a socialist

I agree with mika and think that most countries have a hidden agenda why the really help other countries. Get oil. Get gold. Get coffee, always some reason. So, I think that as a general rule no. Most of what you know about Colombia, Venezuela, Honduras, Nicaragua is a tiny, tiny slice of whats real.

memorex

I don't think The western world hurts Latin america any more that "Latin americans" hurt themselves. As a member of the LA world I have recieved countless information during my whole life of US taking advantage from us (it's funny to think that we never blame Europe for the same), definately the US is the target for this matter. This information is given by the local politicians to divert the attention to another source not themselves.

For example, after an earthquake helps always comes, and the first and bigger help comes from USA (supplies, Movile Hospitals, sugeons etc), what happens next, you find out that supplies for the needy are sold to the public 300 km away from the catastrophe and nobody ends up in jail (Ica, Peru 2007)

Another example, in 1992 one of the worst companies in Peru was a copper minning Co. CERRO VERDE, with the second highest loss in that year. Obviously this was a company runned by the goberment (I'm not sure if years back the gobermente took it away from some foreign company). In 1993 it was purchased by a French-Canadian minning Co. ABB Group (not always USA) the stock share was worth US $ 0.50 Today that minning company is one of the most profitable companies in Peru and the lucky ones who bought the stock shares are very happy because today they are worth US $ 25 each!

But sooner or later comes a politician and starts saying that these companies are taking advantage from us and so we have to take away the company from them and after 10 years turn it into a 1992 CERRO VERDE.

I would say that the western world doesn't have the intention to hurt us, if that occurs is because we let it happen.

rxing

what do you mean West?

Melkiha

Latin America IS the west!

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