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[1] (February 16, 2017)

handle is hein.crs/crsmthmarhl0001 and id is 1 raw text is: CRS INSIGHT Challenges for U.S. Policymakers in Latin America and the Caribbean February 16, 2017 (IN10654) Related Author *Mark P__Sullivan Mark P. Sullivan, Specialist in Latin American Affairs (msllivanThcr 1 v,7-7689) The Latin American and Caribbean region has made significant political and economic advances over the past three decades, but challenges remain. Regular free and fair elections are the norm in most countries; in 2017, presidential elections are scheduled for EcuadDr in February and Chile and Honduras in November, while parliamentary elections are due in the Bahamas by May. The quality of democracy, however, has eroded in several countries affected by organized crime, corruption, and the executive's abuse of power. The rise of leftist populism, most prominently in Venezuela, has led to the subversion of democratic institutions and erosion of human rights. In Freedom House's 2017 annualre , Venezuela joined Cuba as the only countries in the Americas categorized as not free. Ten others were classified as partly freely. The ebbing of populism's electoral appeal (e.g., in Argenina) is a positive development for democracy, as is Colombia's peace agreement ending a half-century conflict. The region has faced an economic slowdown in recent years, driven by the global decline in commodity prices and China's economic slowdown. Regional economic growth contracted 0.7% in 2016, with marked declines in Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, and Venezuela. A slower recovery is forecast for 2017, with growth of 1.2% and continued recessions in Ecuador and Venezuela, countries dependent on oil exports. HaiLi remains one of the world's poorest countries. In its policy approach toward the region, the Obama Administration emphasized Dartnership shared reSponsibility and engagemnt. Its policy priorities included efforts to promote economic and social opportunity, combat transnational crime and advance citizen security, and strengthen democratic institutions. These U.S. goals in the region have been long-standing, so it is possible the Trump Administration will continue to support them. S me obs~r, however, are fearful that the Administration's strong emphasis on border security, trade protection, and deportations could change the tenor of relations with the region, jeopardize cooperation, and fuel anti-American sentiment. One policy change that has altered the outlook for relations is . hrawl from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, which would have deepened economic linkages with Mexico, Chile, and Peru. Among the significant challenges facing the Trump Administration in the region are the following: Mexico