[plazul]

I just got an email from a friend in Playa Azul Michoacan where the biggest political topic is the lack of an ATM and banking services. I'm looking forward to getting back there this winter and leaving behind the war and all the rest of our crazy politics.

You know, we get much more news about Africa than we do about Mexico and Latin America. Mexico City is the largest city in the world but I have never in my life seen a news report from there. We have a new member from Argentina, a beautiful country with a very rich culture that is struggling to recover from almost total economic collapse. What is the news from Buenos Aires?

We never hear about the forty year war in Columbia or the new problems in Central America. Most of Latin America might as well be a different planet but there is so much going on there and there are also many business opportunities for those who want to explore. Imagine owning some bargain real estate on the Peruvian coast that rivals anything in California. How about Belize as a place to locate your light manufacturing facility?

Why do we ignore our neighbors to the south? Some Americans would like to keep places like Costa Rica a secret but I predict that baby boomers will flock there once the retirement boom begins. But who knows about it? Only the offshore bankers and liability company guys.

Why do you suppose so many resource rich nations in South America continue to flounder in poverty? I think it's because America and Europe have done little to help reform the banana republics that oppress the people and keep all the wealth in the hands the wealthy elite.

If I were President, relations and trade with Latin America would be at the top of my agenda.