(CNN) -- The United States is looking for new ways to regain its strength, to shake off the recession blues and fortify its position of international leadership. But Washington is missing the obvious, neglecting its closest neighbors. Big mistake. With America's European partners struggling, with China's economy powering ahead, and the Middle East simmering with uncertainty, Washington has decided to "pivot" from its decade-long post-9/11 wars and look to Asia and the Pacific. But the United States is overlooking the most logical, natural place to build strong friendships, partnerships and alliances: Latin America. In recent years, attention focused on two places. First, the perennial center of global turmoil, the greater Middle East shook under armed conflict and ideological clashes, with major wars in Iraq and Afghanistan happening simultaneously with an escalating confrontation between Iran and the West over Tehran's nuclear program.
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Frida Ghitis: As U.S. starts to look to Asia, it overlooks the opportunities in Latin America
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Countries like Brazil are booming economically and have strong democracies, she says
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Ghitis says others have noticed: China overtook U.S. as Brazil's main commercial partner
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Ghitis: 50 million Latinos in the U.S. also create a strong, natural foundation for alliances
China
China
At the same time, nervous attention turned to China, whose dazzling growth propelled a once-minor economy into the world's second largest in a few short years, making it clear that the @placeholder-U.S. rivalry will become one of the dominant features of this century.
United States
United States
U.S.
U.S.
U.S.
At the same time, nervous attention turned to China, whose dazzling growth propelled a once-minor economy into the world's second largest in a few short years, making it clear that the China-@placeholder rivalry will become one of the dominant features of this century.
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China and @placeholder, the two countries the West most worries about, have been busy developing diplomatic relations and increasing economic ties.
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Latin America
Latin America
And this is happening just as @placeholder has developed in a direction that could make it easier to build ties with the United States.