 As a result, the United States no longer perceived leftist governments as a security threat, creating a political opening for the left.In the 1990s, the left exploited this opportunity to solidify their base, run for local offices and gain experience governing on the local level.At the end of the 1990s and early 2000s, the region's initial unsuccessful attempts with the neoliberal policies of privatization, cuts in social spending and foreign investment left countries with high levels of unemployment, inflation and rising inequality.