About 60% of our oil imports flow thru the Gulf of Mexico; the economic effects alone of hostility or instability there ( Cuba, Mexico, Central America, the Carribean Isles ) should be apparent to anyone with a lick of sense.
Yet Latin America & the Carribean remain largely out of sight, out of mind, for most North Americans. During my travels down there I developed a great affection for most of the people, and a great dislike for most of their bloody governments. We really need to pay more attention to this area.