NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Polls have shown that Argentina is one of the Latin American nations with a high level of anti-American sentiment, so one cannot be entirely surprised by the protests surrounding the international summit in Mar Del Plata, says Vanderbilt University political scientist Mitchell Seligson. There has been a recent political shift to the left among several Latin American countries, with tension between the United States and Venezuela of particular note. A number of Latin Americans feel that the benefits of free trade have not yet “trickled down” to them, and that may be helping to fuel the protests.
Seligson, Centennial Professor of Political Science, points out that protests in Latin America against U.S. elected officials are nothing new and follows a long tradition. It brings back memories of the violent protests in the 1950s when then-Vice President Richard Nixon was in Venezuela. He hopes that recent protests will not overshadow the long tradition of cooperation between the United States and Latin America.
Seligson, founder and director of the Latin American Public Opinion Project and a fellow of the Center for the Americas at Vanderbilt, is an internationally recognized authority on land tenure, political culture and democratization in Latin America. To arrange an interview with him, call 615-322-2706 or email him at mseligson@vanderbilt.edu.
Media contact: Ann Marie Deer Owens, (615) 322-NEWS
Annmarie.owens@vanderbilt.edu