What factors drove US foreign policy in Latin America? Kennedy to Carter:

Document Questions What was the deal struck between the US and USSR? Why was this deal kept secret? Who seems more scared or on the defensive? What does this event show you about how people felt during the Cold War?

Kennedy’s goals Wanted to win over the “Third World” US had made mistakes in the past Would correct with aid and economic development Frank, honest, idealistic

Alliance for Progress Signed at OAS meeting in 1961 Aims: 2.5% increase in per capita income Democratic governments Elimination of adult illiteracy by 1970 Price stability Land reform and less income inequality

Successes University attendance doubled Kennedy’s popularity was high among Latin Americans Per capita income growth averaged 2.6% in 1960s Literacy rose

Failures Minimum wage laws were too low to be effective Land reform affected fewer than 10% of peasants 13 democratic governments were replaced by dictatorships Housing builds were often too far from work to be useful Corruption siphoned of millions of dollars of aid

Economic barriers Much of the land owned by US corporations Too populist reformers were seen as economic threats to US Private corporations in US were unwilling to commit promised funds Forced to buy “Made in the USA” products Billions used to service debt owed

Political barriers Supported or didn’t reject coups in Argentina, Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala Dictatorships were “punished” by US for 3 weeks to 6 months Anti-Castro dictatorships favored over leftist democracies

Bay of Pigs Invasion CIA planned under Eisenhower, Kennedy gives go ahead Cuban nationals trained to invade Cuba, rally support from people, and overthrow Castro Embarrassing failure, Kennedy and US humiliated internationally Castro now secure and moving closer to USSR

Missile Crisis - Causes US outgunned Soviets re: nuclear missiles ICBMS too expensive, medium and intermediate range missiles more affordable, but needed to be closer Kruschev saw Kennedy as weak after Berlin Wall build

Kennedy’s options Do nothing – look weak Diplomacy – too slow Force – risked World War 3 Trade of missiles – Cuba for Turkey Blockade – ‘quarantine’ of Cuba, prevent more supplies/weapons

Results Kruschev seen as weak, loses power in 1964 Soviet-American Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Johnson Doctrine (1965) – no new Communist countries in LA China splits with USSR (seen as cowardly) France and Canada upset at being left out (annihilation without representation)

Johnson’s Interventions Panama Canal Zone (1964) – Suppress nationalist protests against American control Dominican Republic (1965) – Elected leader overthrown, US sent 30,000 troops to prop up military leaders of coup

Nixon US and Latin American relations at a low point Alliance for Progress had failed US attention on Vietnam Nixon emphasizes stability over economic aid

Salvador Allende (Chile) Elected President in 1970 – La via chilena al socialismo Nationalized large industries (copper, banking) Land redistribution Govt. administered health care and education Emphasis on aiding the poor Diplomatic relations with Castro’s Cuba

Coup d’etat Economic pressures (low copper prices, lack of US aid) led to drop in support Conservative Congress led to governmental crisis Military, led by General Augusto Pinochet, surrounded palace and Allende committed suicide Pinochet, with US support, begins 17 year long, brutal dictatorship

Operation Condor Anti-socialist intelligence system Integrated repressive measures against leftists Over 50,000 people believed killed

Carter’s goals Human rights North-South economic dialogue End sale of arms to foreign countries Legal limitations on aid to repressive regimes

Carter in action Treaty returned Panama Canal to Panama in 1999 Restricted aid to corrupt Somoza dictatorship in Nicaragua Gave aid to moderate Sandanista coalition elected in 1979 As it fostered revolution he restricted aid Giving up control = possibility of unfavorable governments

Liberation Theology Second Vatican Council liberalized practices in Catholic Church Liberation theology emphasized Jesus the revolutionary “The meek shall inherit the Earth” = Christ the Marxist? Majority of Catholic hierarchy preferred traditional conservative church Suppressed by Pope John Paul II in the 1980s