Originally Posted by smallpox

Elite? Anyways, regardless of the owner's nationality, a trade, even for labour, is beneficial to the workers and the owners.
Whether the individual is American or South American is irrelevant; the costs of production go directly into the economy of the country regardless.
Further, privatization is the only thing keeping the South American economies alive (and also all economies in the world). South America has real issues attracting investors due to stability problems and nationalist governments willing to rip private property out of investors hands just because they're not South American (further exacerbating investor confidence).
Subsidies often back fire and that is why is should be used very wisely. Subsidies in agriculture for most developed countries have also backfired and these I denounce also.