Abstract
After 11 September, Latin America almost disappeared from the US and European radar screens. The waning of the traditional, narrow security paradigm that dominated the Cold War generated collateral damage as the disappearance of the threat posed by the Soviet Union—real or imagined—has left a vacuum. The European vision and the US strategy did not exactly coincide regarding the indigenous problems and proper remedies. The attention and resources devoted to the European Union's Common Strategy on the Mediterranean region should be considered a model for Latin America. Europeans believe that Latin American security problems could be dealt with by a well–managed dose of "soft power" composed of economic and trade development cooperation, political dialogue or persuasion, and development assistance. European political parties, focusing on past continental experiences, sought to strengthen the capabilities of local political formations. Placing security measures under the administration of the United Nations, European governments contributed greatly to the pacification and democratic development of the whole area.