U.S. at a crossroads in Bolivia

What most Americans know about Bolivia could be printed on a coca leaf.

Now, with a Bolivian coca farmer about to assume the presidency in January, it's time Americans learned more.

Evo Morales, who pledged to be "America's nightmare," has softened his stance in recent days. He says he wants the United States to respect cocaine as a legitimate export, but also said he was willing to join hands with the United States to cut back the illegal dealings in the drug. Whether or not the United States can go along with such a notion, it would be prudent of America to make sure it maintains both economic and political influence in the area.

Bolivia is a land-locked nation. And for centuries, it has been a "poster nation" for corruption and hard times. Poverty reigns supreme, and students stage protest after protest to chide the United States and rail against Bolivia's business elite.

Adding to such things, Bolivia is also at the heart of the Latin America continent, with borders touching Peru, Brazil, Paraguay, Chile and Argentina. That fact made the country a strategic prize in the mind of Fidel Castro, Che Guevara and other Communists in the 1960s. It makes the nation a prize for Venezuela's strong-arm leftist, Hugo Chavez, and other Communist leaders today.

It also makes the nation vital to American interests.

By taking the proper approach, the United States could keep the elevated rhetoric of Socialists from swaying Morales and others deep into the Communist camp. It could also find, in Bolivia, a wonderful launching pad for democratic reform and mutual free market gains.

But it will take all the diplomatic skills the American corps can muster. For decades, Bolivia has been prickly — alternately a friend and foe. And President Morales' tribe — the Aymara Indians — have a long and storied history of showing determination, resilience and courage. Aymara gumption has not only produced some of the most celebrated Bolivian war heroes, but once kept the Aymaras from being assimilated by the Incas. Morales inherits that same bravado and tenacity. Strong-arm tactics and undue pressure will backfire. Morales must be handled with the same care and respect one gives a porcupine. The softening of his rhetoric since winning the election is a positive omen. Now, it is America's turn to respond.

And though it sounds like hyperbole, the truth is the way America responds to Morales may well influence the direction of a continent.