'So far from God, so close to the United States,' runs the classic Mexican complaint. These days, virtually everyone in Latin America seems to believe that the US is too close. As a result, there isn't much for Washington to cheer about in the region. In particular, left-wing Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was re-elected, and appears to be moving in a more authoritarian direction.
Proteges of Mr Chavez have won in Bolivia and Ecuador. Nicaragua returned to its presidency Daniel Ortega, a one-time communist revolutionary. But it is Mr Chavez, the continent's leading radical and confidante of Cuba's Fidel Castro, who most irritates Washington. Mr Chavez is an unabashed critic of the US, which backed a Venezuelan coup in 2002 and has funnelled millions of dollars to groups critical of him.
Alas, few Washington policymakers seem to even remember history, let alone learn from it. Past US intervention in Latin America has often proved to be counterproductive. America spent much of the cold war supporting brutal, corrupt dictators. US pressure often created resentment, evident in the famed Mexican aphorism.
Most dramatically, Washington managed to turn a minor dictator into a major international figure when it anointed Mr Castro its Latin American Enemy Number One. Now it has similarly aided Mr Chavez, paying him far too much attention.
Some analysts worry about Chavez-led attempts at aggression and subversion, but Venezuelan imperialism has proved to be no more popular than American imperialism in the region. Venezuela's ambitions can be contained by its neighbours.
Mr Chavez may believe himself to be the continent's leading figure, but few other heads of state accept his leadership. Moreover, his meddling in the internal affairs of other nations has generally backfired. In both Mexico and Peru, the more conservative candidates turned Mr Chavez's endorsement of opponents into winning election issues.