The Fourth Fleet last sailed in 1950. It was deactivated and absorbed into the Second Fleet, which patrols the Atlantic Ocean that is until July 1. The Navy reactivated the Fourth, assigning it to Latin America. Officially the Navy says that the Fourth Fleet will be responsible for humanitarian missions in Central and South America. The governments of Venezuela, Bolivia and Cuba though aren't so sure, calling it a return to "gunboat diplomacy". Argentina's President Cristina Kirchner was also expected to bring up the topic of the Fourth Fleet when she meets with US State Department officials on Thursday.
The Fourth Fleet is a sign that the US plans to pay more attention to Latin America. When George Bush was sworn in at the start of 2001, many expected the US to build closer relations with Latin America - Bush had been the governor in Texas, and had a close relationship with Vincente Fox, then the president of Mexico. Then 9/11 happened and the War on Terror pushed Latin American relations to the sidelines.
In the years since, several South American countries have elected leftist governments that look at Washington with skepticism, if not outright hostility. Venezuela's Hugo Chavez has grown into a regional power and vocal critic of capitalism, and China has strengthened its ties with many nations in the region.
The Navy said that no ships would be permanently assigned to the Fourth Fleet, rather just temporarily assigned as needed. So far only two ships have - the USS Boxer that is currently cruising down the Pacific coast of South America assisting in community health projects and the USS Kearsarge that will do a similar mission along the Atlantic coast and Caribbean. Both though are also amphibious assault ships, quite capable of taking on a number of military missions.
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