Can South America Be A 'Zone Of Peace'?

SANTA CRUZ HANDSHAKE - U.S. Air Force Gen. Douglas Fraser, commander of U.S. Southern Command, greets U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates as he arrives in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, Nov. 21, 2010. Gates and Fraser are in Bolivia to attend a conference of Western Hemisphere defense ministers. DOD photo by U.S. Air Force by U.S. Master Sgt. Jerry Morrison

US Wants South America To Be 'Zone Of Peace': Gates -- Space War/AFP

The United States wants South America to remain free of conflict and will support initiatives that promote transparency in arms deals in the region, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Saturday.

"Obviously we want South America to remain a zone of peace," Gates told a news conference here after meeting his Chilean counterpart Jaime Ravinet as part of a four-day trip to the continent to bolster military cooperation.

"The percentage of spending on the military in South America is among the lowest in the world," Gates noted.

Read more ....

My Comment: South America has been a relatively zone of peace .... minus the long history of military coup d'etats, Communist guerrilla wars, civil wars, drug wars, and border skirmishes and battles. Will this change .... not in my lifetime .... but Secretary Gate's remarks should be taken as a goal, and hope that it will be shared by the leaders of the Americas.