The conservative ruling party in El Salvador is waging a surprisingly uphill battle against the leftist front that waged a bloody guerrilla war in the 1970s and 1980s.

The March presidential election in El Salvador, in which the conservative ARENA Party won its fourth consecutive victory in fifteen years, invites serious consideration and analysis.

Presidents such as Chávez, García, or Lula will end up serving U.S. purposes by demonstrating beyond all doubt that populist demagoguery cannot deliver the goods.

What Obama does to put the United States' own house in order will benefit our neighbors more than anything he can do right now for the region.