Soviet-Latin American Relations in the 1980s (review)

250 SAIS REVIEW in the international system. Since nuclear weapons are symbols of power, by preventing the Third World from acquiring them, the superpowers maintain their dominant position. Thomas disagrees with the notion that the developing nations do not possess the "common sense" to have nuclear weapons at their disposal. Nevertheless, the Third World is more volatile than the industrialized nations, and Thomas fails to consider what effect the acquisition of nuclear weapons by the developing nations would have on stability. Finally, Thomas uses Jamaica as a case study to illustrate how external factors, such as foreign governments, multinationals, the IMF, and the capitalist economic system limit a developing nation's policy options. What characterizes Thomas as a typical Third World proponent is her argument that the main cause of the Third World's economic and political dilemmas are the industrialized nations' actions. Although In Search of Security is not objective, it does provide a comprehensive view of one side of the North-South confrontation. Soviet-Latin American Relations in the 1980s. Edited by Augusto Varas. Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press, 1987. 290 pp. $38.50/cloth. Reviewed by Susan Thornton, M.A. candidate, SAIS. Traditional Soviet-Latin American relations have been cautious and have not enjoyed a high priority in the USSR— which, for the most part, acknowledges U.S. hegemony in the region and seeking to avoid provoking further superpower tensions by challenging declarations of U.S. strategic and vital interests. In the wake of the recent visit by Soviet Foreign Minister Shevardnadze to Latin America, and amidst speculation of a future Gorbachev visit to this region, however, questions about the prospects for, and implications of, change in Soviet-Latin American relations inevitably emerge. What are the main objectives of Soviet policy toward Latin America, and how will U.S. interests be affected ? What does Latin America hope to gain by courting the Soviet Union and pursuing improved Soviet-Latin American relations? Soviet-Latin American Relations in the 1980s, a collection of essays by Latin American scholars, edited by Augusto Varas, provides a thought-provoking perspective on the evidence surrounding these issues. In analyzing Soviet-Latin American relations, first from a regional perspective, and then on an individual, country-by-country basis, the authors perceive no substantial change in the future Soviet ordering of priorities concerning Latin America. This does not preclude Soviet involvement in the region if an opportunity either to increase Soviet prestige, or inflict damage on U.S. prestige, presents itself. What it does mean is that relations until now have been, and will probably continue to be, the result of political and economic convenience and do not pose any destabilizing or military threat to U.S. interests in the region. In his introduction Varas addresses the historical context of Soviet-Latin American relations, particularly the role of the United States in their development . Contrary to other Soviet ventures in the Third World, relations with Latin BOOK REVIEWS 251 America have primarily been a function of the status of U.S. -Latin and U.S.Soviet relations. Indeed, a recurrent theme that emerges is that the escalation of Soviet-Latin ties is a reaction to an identity crisis many Latin countries are experiencing under U.S. influence, and in individual cases it is often a direct result of anti-Latin American U.S. policies. Other factors influencing escalation include possibilities for economic cooperation and the general political mobilization of the 1970s. Noticeably absent from Varas's enumeration of contributing factors is the possibility of the advent of pro-Soviet revolutions in the Latin region. This topic is taken up in an essay by Edme Reyes on Soviet academic perspectives on revolution in Latin America, specifically in the Caribbean and Central America. The impression is that the Soviet consensus places Latin American revolutions in the "highly vulnerable" category. Although there is a divergence ofSoviet opinion in this area, promoting Latin American revolutions is not part of the Soviet agenda for the region, according to the author. In the last chapter, with a regional outlook, Fernando Lopez-Alves looks at how Latin Americans view the Soviets and how the nature of domestic conflicts affect Soviet influence. Using the...