1. US involvement in Latin America

2. Why get involved  Protect economic interests  Stop the infiltration of socialists and communist - fear of communism  Improve conditions for the people

3. Monroe Doctrine  1823  After Napoleon was defeated – Spain wanted to reclaim colonies  President James Monroe sends warning  All European nations had to stay out of the Americans

4. Mexican American War  Began over a boarder dispute  United States wins land from Mexico Lost half her territory  Lasting bitterness towards US

5. Spanish American War  1898  America goes to war with Spain To protect economic interests  Gained new territories Puerto Rico and Cuba  Platt Amendment we can protect US citizens and interest in Cuba We get to two navel bases  Increased US influence in the region

6. Roosevelt Corollary  Extension of the Monroe Doctrine  Says the United States could use force in Latin America when our interests were threatened  intervene to stabilize the economic affairs of nations in the Caribbean and Central America if they were unable to pay their international debts

7. Building of the Panama Canal  Needed the canal  1.economic reasons  2. Military reasons  Supported a Panamanian revolt  Panama and United States sign a treaty $10 million an the annual rent of $250,000 to the land to build the canal One of the world’s great engineering feats Increased US investment in Latin America Turned it back over to the Panamanians in 1999

9. US business in the region  In the 1900’s the United States begins to get involved in Latin America  1899 United Fruit Company goes into Nicaragua and Guatemala By 1970 owned more land then anyone in Guatemala  1950 American companies (Shell, Woolworth, Esso) move into Cuba  Other move into Latin America – Sears, Citigroup, Westinghouse and Coca-Cola

10. Good Neighbor Policy  FDR  Withdrew armed forced stationed in Latin America  Keep an eye on Latin America but in a more peaceful way  Cooperation and trade instead of military intervention to promote stability and growth in the region  Purpose to reduce military intervention

11. Bay of Pigs  Unsuccessful attempt to over through Fidel Castro  Planned by CIA and Eisenhower approved by Kennedy  Disaster – humiliating defeat  Relations between the two counties were severed, leading to the tensions that persist today

12. Cuban Missile Crisis  Soviet attempt to deploy missiles in Cuba on 1962  an American spy plane revealed missile bases being built in Cuba  ended two weeks later on when President JFK UN Secretary General U Thant reached an agreement with the Soviets  Soviets would dismantle the missiles in Cuba US  US no invasion of Cuba and removal of US missiles in Turkey.

13.  International development program started by President Kennedy  it aimed to strengthen democratic government and promote social and economic reforms  US provided loans and aid built some schools and hospitals, but by the early 1970s it was widely viewed as a failure  Land reform was not achieved, population growth outstripped gains in health and welfare, and the U.S. willingness to support military dictators to prevent communist take over Kennedy’s Alliance for Progress

14. NAFTA  North American Free Trade Agreement  Reduced trade restrictions and increased flow of goods  Trade between US, Canada and Mexico increased 10-15%  Controversial In US labor groups fear jobs will head south of the boarder Mexico viewpoint it has helped boost exports and create thousands of jobs Other Latin America countries are watching and waiting

15. Cold War Impact on Latin America  Has impacted US involvement in Latin America  Became involved to stop the spread of socialism and communism  Increased aid to Latin America Military to stop socialist uprising Finical to reduce poverty  Little success

16. Guatemala  First involvement  Reform President Jacobo Arbenz passed a land reform law which allowed the government to take over and distribute unused land  Most land was owned by the United Fruit Company  Believing that the Guatemalan gov was controlled by Communist US armed a rebel group and overthrew Arbenz  Colonel Carlos Castillo Armas was installed as president in 1954 Dismantled many of Arbenz reforms  40 years of violence follows

17. Results  Started an era of military rule in Central America  Government acted with impunity to wipe out dissent and gain wealth for themselves and their friends  killing of defenseless people became state policy in Guatemala  Between 1954 and 1981, more than 60,000 people were murdered  Guatemala continues to suffer the worst record of human rights abuses in Latin America

18. Nicaragua  United States supports the dynasty of the Somoza family  Due to economic hardships, corruptions and poor relief aid after a major earthquake many joined the the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN)  Sandinistas take power in 1979  Reagan convinced the FSLN was joining with Cuba and supporting Marxist revolutionary movements throughout Latin America  His administration authorized CIA to begin financing, arming and training rebels, known as Contras

19.  Fought an economic war Mines in the harbors, US trade embargo  Boland Act passed by US Congress  US still funds Contras  Iran – Contra Affair Supply a moderate group in Iran to over through the Ayatollah Khomeni and work to the release of Am hostages taken by Hezbollah (Arms for hostages) With money received in the sale of guns, fund the Contras (Iran – Contra Affair)

20. El Salvador  Reform groups vs right-wing military and the landowning oligarchy  President Reagan increased aid to government  Sent men to train military  Misrepresented to the American public the actions of the government and said it was making progress towards human rights

21. Chile  1970 Allende became elected to lead the country He was a Marxist He nationalized nation’s industries Stepped up land reforms  Angered foreign investors  US encouraged economic chaos in Chile  Overthrow of Allende’s government by General Pinochet  Chile under control of a repressive military regime

22. US and Latin America today  Bush has “lost” Latin America”  Increasing “Anti- American” ideals  More Latin American countries are chosen left leaning governments hoping for change  US is still the most important buyer of Latin American’s goods – 50%