Introduction
The administration led by President Barack Obama (2009-2017) arguably represented the zenith of positive US-Latin American relations, with the Obama government opting not to push an aggressive free market agenda – as was the case under the preceding government led by George W. Bush (2001-2009) – and largely avoiding diplomatic conflicts, notwithstanding some provocation from the region’s left-wing regimes, notably Venezuela. (The region’s left-wing governments were also critical of the US response to the ouster of the Honduran president, Manuel Zelaya, in June 2009).