Key Takeaways
- The U.S. exploited Latin America for military and political allies and resources
- WWI and WWII increased U.S. power in Latin America (Britain and France didn’t have resources to compete in this area)
- U.S. often replaced Latin American leaders if they didn’t like their policies, or funded Latin American counter-insurgency programs to protect U.S.-favored governments
- The U.S. relationship with Latin America changed in the 1990s with increased immigration; census revealed that the U.S. has the largest Spanish-speaking population in the hemisphere
Examples
·
FDR’s goals:
o
Military bases in the Caribbean and Atlantic
coast of South America
o
Access to materials such as quartz and rubber
o
Allies or neutrality
·
Carlos Castillo Armas
o
In Guatemala, CIA organized exile invasion to
replace reformer Colonel Jacobo Arbenz with Castillo Armas, who reversed
expropriation of the United Fruit Co. and signed a mutual defense-assistance
pact with U.S.
·
Cold War
o
U.S. was indifferent to Latin America until
relations with Soviets soured; wanted Latin America to sever ties with Soviet
Union and outlaw local communist parties
o
Bay of Pigs—unsuccessful attempt to overthrow
Castro, led to Cuba announcing plans adopt socialism and strengthen ties with
Soviet Union
·
9/11, immigration
o
After Cold War, U.S. tried to better define
relationship with Latin America, consistent policy, reaction to democratization
o
U.S. foreign policy is turned upside down; Latin
America is low priority as U.S. gets involved in global conflict
o
Immigration is controversial; U.S. depends on
economic benefits from immigrants, but is concerned over jobs/homeland
security/drug trafficking
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