I hope you're right. I do wish there was another way to get to what you are describing besides the same strong-arm tactics that the U.S. used to subjugate many other countries in Latin America: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_involvement_in_r...

It's a very tough and politically incorrect pill to swallow, but the crap the US has historically intervened against in that region mostly shows a clear pattern of absolutely bush-league "governing."

Western Hemisphere nations who choose to ally with the US seem way better off in terms of economic prosperity than those who chose communism and/or to ally with US enemies. Mexico for instance got NAFTA, a giant boost to their economy (even at the expense of US workers).

The only big exception I'd point to is Puerto Rico, which is in the closest association they could get, being part of the US and yet gets the shaft in just about every way.