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Throughout the past decades, the United States has intervened many times in Latin American countries, both politically and for military purposes. These interventions have caused long-lasting effects that are still prevalent today. Many people don't know about the U.S.'s involvement in these countries, which makes this website important to the understanding of the lives of Latin Americans overall.
What is an intervention?
Determining what counts as an intervention can be tricky. Some were overt, some were covert, some were done against the wishes of the countries' citizens, and some were done at the request of, or with the complicity of, some of the country's citizens. Some were full-fledged military operations, others were instances of "gunboat diplomacy" where violence was threatened. However, according to Oxford Library, an intervention is defined as "interference in the territory or domestic affairs of another state with military force." US interventions took the form of military dominance, political control over foreign governments, and economic retaliation.
Maps of U.S. interventions in Latin America
*Along with interventions, these maps depict populist left-wing revolutions, right-wing/military regime, and internal guerilla movements in order to help us understand political contacts that brought the interventions to existence.
1823 – The Monroe Doctrine
The U.S. would not directly interfere with internal European affairs or wars.
The U.S. would stay clear of the existing colonies and dependencies in the Western Hemisphere
The Western Hemisphere would not be colonized in the future.
Any and all interventions in the Western hemisphere by a European power would be viewed as a hostile act against the U.S.
1904 – The Roosevelt Corollary
As an amendment to the Monroe Doctrine, it proclaimed the right of the U.S. to intervene and stabilize economic affairs of Latin American countries who were in debt to the U.S. (justified their interventions in Cuba, Nicaragua, Haiti and the Dominican Republic)
“Big Stick Diplomacy” giving power to the U.S. to interfere in domestic affairs in Latin America
1933 – The Good Neighbor Policy
Instated under President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Instead of the U.S. being a threatening power over Latin America, the U.S. wanted a mutual friendship
Stated that the U.S. would no longer intervene or interfere with domestic problems or issues within Latin America
This was done with hopes to create more economic opportunities for U.S. in Latin America
U.S. would be a “Good Neighbor”
No more military force presence in South or Central America
Wanted to respect sovereignty of Latin American countries
Key Policies
1845: Manifest Destiny
The belief that the United States, by God, was destined to spread across all of North America
Drove westward expansion and sparked the War with Mexico
1913– Dollar Diplomacy
During William Howard Taft's presidential term, large amounts of money from Wall Street firms were loaned to small poor countries.
When these countries couldn't pay back the US, the Marines would step in and interfere
1947 – Truman Doctrine
U.S. President Harry S. Truman declared immediate economic and military aid to the governments of Greece, threatened by communist insurrection, and Turkey, under pressure from Soviet expansion in the Mediterranean area.
Meant to halt the spread of communism in democratic countries.
U.S. Motives for intervention:
There have been many different causes for interventions that have varied over time.
In the early 19th century, the U.S. wanted to assert dominance in the Americas in order to preclude European influence. In essence, after numerous independence wars and liberation movements, it was feared that major European powers would attempt to re-assert dominance over their former colonies.
Geographically speaking, prosperity in the Western hemisphere is critical for the stability and peace of the U.S.
During the Cold War, the U.S. wanted to combat the spread of communism (to critics, this became known as the ABC policy - "Anyone But Communists." The American Government stated that they would support any government unless they were communist).
Economic Benefits: The U.S. preferred South and Central American governments that would financially benefit the U.S. as much as possible, particularly since many Latin American countries had a lot of raw materials such as gold, sugar, silver, coal, and coffee beans.
In some cases, interventions took place to protect the safety of U.S. citizens living in Latin America.
Latin America's position next to the U.S. offered incentives for intervention: for example, opening up the Panama Canal created for easier and less costly transports from the Pacific to the Atlantic.
The U.S. wanted to promote democracy and humanitarianism in other parts of the world.
Counternarcotics: The U.S. wanted to stop the drug flow into their nation's borders.
The U.S. wanted to decrease levels of immigration.
* At times there was strong regional cooperation between the U.S. and Latin America while at other times, there was economic and political tension and rivalry.
Some notable U.S.
interventions by country & involvement:
Some interventions missing from these lists:
Mexican War of 1846-1848
Punitive Expedition of 1916
In Nicaragua, William Walker proclaims himself as president (Filibuster)
Bay of Pigs 1961 was a failed intervention, however, it was still unveiled
Questions to ponder:
What do you imagine foreign occupation looks like in the streets of Latin American countries?
How do you think Latin Americans generally feel relative to the US interventions?
Do you think Latin Americans might be torn on how they feel towards US Interventions?
How has your perception of U.S involvement in South and Central America changed after reading this resource?
Do you think there are any connections to contemporary immigration and asylum- seeking?
Works Cited:
Chasteen, John Charles. Born in Blood & Fire: A Concise History of Latin America, 4th Edition. New York and London: W.W. Norton & Co., 2016.
Knight, Alan. The Idea of Race in Latin America. University of Texas Press, 1999.
Chasteen, John Charles. Born in Blood & Fire: A Concise History of Latin America, 4th Edition. New York and London: W.W. Norton & Co., 2016.
Gonzalez, Juan. Harvest of Empire: a History of Latinos in America. New York: Penguin Books, 2011.
“Intervention and Use of Force.” Accessed January 22, 2021. https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199743292/obo-9780199743292-0047.xml#:~:text=Intervention%20is%20commonly%20defined%20as,its%20own%20territory%20and%20population.
Knight, Alan. The Idea of Race in Latin America. University of Texas Press, 1999.
Modern Latin America. Accessed January 22, 2021. https://library.brown.edu/create/modernlatinamerica/chapters/chapter-13-dynamics-of-political-transformation/.
“Monroe Doctrine.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., November 25, 2020. https://www.britannica.com/event/Monroe-Doctrine.
“Before Venezuela: The Long History of U.S. Intervention in Latin America.” People's World, January 25, 2019. https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/before-venezuela-the-long-history-of-u-s-intervention-in-latin-america/
“United States Interventions What For?” El Imperio de Calibán, December 27, 2014. https://norbertobarreto.blog/2014/12/26/united-states-interventions-what-for/.
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