US – Latin American Relations Three Historical Periods 1.Imperial Era, s 2.Cold War Era, 1940s-1980s 3.Post-Cold War Era, 1990s- present
Imperial Era, s European rivalry for Americas U.S. involvement in rivalry for Western Hemisphere
Monroe Doctrine, 1823 “….With the existing colonies or dependencies of any European power we have not interfered and shall not interfere. But with the Governments who have declared their independence and maintain it, and whose independence we have, on great consideration and on just principles, acknowledged, we could not view any interposition for the purpose of oppressing them, or controlling in any other manner their destiny, by any European power in any other light than as the manifestation of an unfriendly disposition toward the United States….”
Roosevelt Corollary to Monroe Doctrine, 1904 “It is not true that the United States feels any land hunger or entertains any projects as regards other nations of the Western Hemisphere save such as are for there welfare…If a nation shows that it knows how to act with reasonable efficiency and decency in social and political matters, if it keeps order and pays its obligations, it need fear no interference from the United States. Chronic wrongdoing, or an impotence which results in a general loosening of the ties of civilized society, may require intervention by some civilized nation, and…to the exercise of an international police power.”
“Gunboat Diplomacy” Strategy by U.S. government to prevent European occupation of Latin America U.S. intervenes in Caribbean Basin 30 times,
Good Neighbor Policy
Cold War Era, 1940s-1980s Oppose all who oppose U.S. Support all who oppose U.S.S.R.
Containment Policy Must support all free peoples resisting communism (externally or internally)
Alliance for Progress To avoid further revolution in Latin America: 1.Reform economic structures and facilitate “modernization” 2.Build anti-left unions to counter communist and socialist unions 3.Military counterinsurgency and training
Reagan’s Return to Containment Rhetoric Domino theory Moral degeneracy of “communists”Reality U.S. credibility in post-Vietnam era Maintain regional hegemony
Return to “Infantilization” of Latin America
Post-Cold War Era, 1990s- present Dominated by geo-economic security concerns and economic issues 1. Drug Trafficking/Counter- Narcotics 2. Economic issues
“Drug Certification” (1986) Erradication of coca and poppy fields Training for Latin American police
Economic Concerns Consolidation of Neo- liberalism Expansion of NAFTA to FTAA?