There were fanfare and tributes aplenty in Washington last week as President Reagan paid homage to a distinguished South American guest, Argentine President Raul Alfonsin. There was also an exchange of sobering messages and differing perceptions. Above all, Alfonsin warned that the heartening tendency he represents, the return of democracy to Latin American nations, is too fragile to be taken for granted. As he put it, "Right next to hope, there is fear in Latin America, the fear that arises from the unsatisfied expectations of our peoples."
The contrast in tone was a recurring feature of Alfonsin's eight-day journey to the...