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Essays on the united states intervention in latin america
Essays on the united states intervention in latin america
U.S. involvement in foreign affairs
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The United States has a very long history of intervening within other countries, whether it is for political reasons or otherwise. U.S. intervention started along with the establishment of the United States. This long history still continues strong up until today. Although the U.S. often intervenes, the justified reasons for these interventions are often very unclear, but there are a few repeating trends. First, the idea that it is America’s responsibility to spread democracy to developing nations is a very repeated tendency. The goal of these interventions is to set up an American style government, whether the country likes it or not. The second ideal is to bring freedom and safety to the civilian population of the intervened country. Unfortunately, when the U.S. intervenes the results are less favorable to the foreign civilians than before. Two specific areas with perhaps the most muddled history of U.S. relations are Central America and the Caribbean. Many of the interventions in these areas are often failed attempts; especially the interventions that took place during the Kennedy and Reagan administrations. Specifically, in Cuba and Nicaragua, U.S. intervention has been fueled by the U.S. governments desire to keep the Soviet Union from gaining power.
Cuba itself has a very rocky past. Starting in 1899 Cuba and the U.S. first had governmental relations. A treaty was made stating the Cuba was an independent nation under U.S. protection and occupation. From the very beginning the United States was deeply rooted in Cuba’s governmental workings. This specific U.S. occupation ended in 1902, but only after the U.S. had made large economic investment within Cuba. This was not the end of U.S. involvement; this was ju...
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...n Nicaragua’s welfare and economic standings. This is reflected today by Nicaragua’s current situation. On the Human Development Index, Nicaragua places 110th out of 177 countries.
As we have learned, the United States’ desire to control Soviet assistance to other nations is somewhat overstated, and often does more harm than good. Nicaragua and Cuba are prime examples of the conflict U.S. intervention causes. Some nations, like Cuba are able to recover, but other countries like Nicaragua never quite recuperate from U.S. intervention. On the surface, the U.S. ideals of spreading democracy and bringing freedom to other nations seems like a good one, but they need to be examined further, as these tasks never are the ones accomplished. Perhaps, what the United States really needs to do is step back and look at their history in order to create a better future.
When focusing on Nicaragua one will need to pay close attention to the rebel group called the Sandinistas who took over Nicaragua’s previous dictator, Anastasio Somoza in 1979, in which the United States Congress decided it would be best to provide them with aid that lasted till 1981.1 Nicaragua’s geographic location made it a big concern for President Reagan based on his philosophy that surrounded the Reagan Doctrine. At that point, President Reagan ended the aid deal and adamantly advised that support be sent to those who were trying to over throw the new socialized, Sandinista leadership.2 Furthermore, the Nicaraguan’s were dealing with some of the worst warfare ever, by the mass killings that took place, which were at the mercy of death squads.3 This gruesome realization allowed President Reaga...
Long before our involvement, the Cubans had been leading revolts and revolutions against Spain. The Spanish empire considered Cuba to be its jewel, not only for its beauty but also for its economics. Cuba’s main source of income was from its expansive sugar plantations that greatly contributed to its wealth (more so to the Spanish Empires wealth). Ironically, even due to the high regard to Cuba, it was neglected and oppressed, as the Spanish Empire began its decline in the middle of the nineteenth century. The Empire was falling due to it slowly loosing its control over its territories, closer to the US then to Spain, because of a lack of industrializing. The Spanish would claim ownership, but never contribute back to their land. This opened the door for what is known as the 10-year war and the struggle for Cuban Independence. The United States never got directly involved, but it sympathized greatly with the Cuban’s cause, for ...
Cuba and the U.S.: The Tangled Relationship. New York: The Foreign Policy Association, 1971. Flaherty, Tom.
United States invaded Cuba, Puerto Rico and Philippines not to gain wealth, but for the purpose of getting trades. Americans wanted to project their power to the entire hemisphere and the only way to exercise it is by acquiring republics. Citizens of three countries did not fully acquire the independence they thought they were entitled. Cuba got nominal independence because of Platt Amendment, Puerto Rico became a territory but was not called as citizens of America, and instead they were called Puerto Ricans, while Philippines were denied in statehood. They only had fundamental rights, but United States could govern the country as long as they wanted to. Furthermore, holding the countries from self-government prevent these countries to get the chance to apply what they have learned and adopted from American rule and exercise it for their country’s prosperity.
During the second half of the twentieth century, when the Cold War was on its midst, the United States played an important role in world affairs. The increasing military power that the United States had during the Cold War, allowed it to influence the political decisions that many countries had during this time. The United States directly opposed the idea of communism, which the Soviet Union promoted. This conflict between this two great powers, lasted for five decades, and it tremendously affected the political ideologies of the world. Both countries tried to push their political and economic interest to as many nations as they could, especially those close to their borders. During this time, Guatemala was undergoing a social revolution with communist ideas. The revolution happened as a response to the social injustice committed by the United Fruit Company. The United Fruit Company started to lose land, due to a land reform passed b...
The U.S’s intervention with other countries became more popular during the 20th century.United States was believed to be an imperialistic country only wanting a gain a political gateway to devour the world in its ideologies and also government onto other countries and nothing more, but there was an exception to the U.S with the Dominican republic in the early 1960’s where the American government wanted to stop the spread of communism to more latino countries. Lyndon B Johnson address the matter before sending troops towards the south by using the following quote “As evidence he provided American reporters with lists of 6 suspected communist in that nation” - (History.com) This can inform the reader’s audience that America had spies in the D.R that were able to inform them with prior information that would benefit the future independent nation also that the Americans were suspicious of the country ...
This new threat begins a continued influence other areas of American involvement such as in the Korean Conflict. The United States aided the Republic of Korea “…to promote world peace and general welfare.” As part of the police power it became, starting with its origins with Theodore Roosevelt, and solidifying its role after the Second World War. With the Gulf War part of the reason the United States intervened was to stop the atrocities of Saddam Hussain on the nation of Kuwait. This example of the Gulf War shows that principles from Theodore Roosevelt Presidency and into Harry Truman’s presidency still continue to affect foreign policy to some degree in America today.
The world in the 1940’s was not the ideal place for anyone to be living. Hitler’s Nazi movements being one of the catalysts for World War II, the citizens of the world were flung into an era of disarray and discontentment in the early 40’s. After Japan’s surprise attack on the U.S., forcing the Americans into war, it soon became a whole differnet ball game. In 1941, the United Nations was formed comprised of the inter-allies and its goal to "work together, with other free peoples, both in war and in peace". Now, all corners of the world were being affected. The history of Central American countries particularly, Nicaragua will be examined in this reading. This reading will focus specifically on the history of Nicaragua from 1945 to the early 2000’s. A critical analysis of how Nicaragua and its leaders handled certain situations and whether or not the situations were handled well. In addition, only Nicaragua’s more significant events will be regarded and analyzed chronologically and collectively, while trying to avoid going in depth as to why certain events occurred as that is for another time. This paper will represent the stance that Nicaragua’s leaders handled certain situations in a manner that was not very beneficial to Nicaragua and its citizens but beneficial to those in power up until the Sandistina government took over and began to make decisions beneficial to Nicaraguans however, hindered by opposing powers.
In 1961, in response to the success of the Cuba’s Communist Revolution, President John F. Kennedy initiated the Alliance for Progress to discourage Marxist revolutions and to promote economic and social cooperation through democracy between the United States and Latin America . All throughout Latin America during the 1960’s Marxism had become the central philosophy and the future of democracy in the region appeared to be greatly threatened. Chile was viewed by the US as the ideal model for the Alliance for Progress program due its long history of constitutional democracy dating back to the nineteenth century. The Cold War fears of the Communist threat infiltrated the Chilean military when the United States funded a training school called the School of the Americas that specialized in teaching counterinsurgency techniques to Latin American militaries in order to combat guerilla warfare . Throughout these Cold War years the United States’ fear of Communism seemed dominate over rationality causing the US to act against their claimed beliefs in freedom, democracy, and basic human rights. That hypocrisy is most greatly evidenced by the United States foreign policy toward Chile during the 1960’s-the 1990’s.
During the institution and emerging years of the United States of America to present, we have witnessed some questionable acts committed by the United States. Now days the United States condemn and prosecute nations that get involved in these kinds of tyrannous practices; practices that lead the United States to become the superpower nation today. Often times American people act like if the United States had the ultimate word when it comes to morals and principles. We will go back in time to talk about the massacre and displacement of millions of Natives Americans along with the semi-extinction of their lifestyle and heritage. It is also important to look at the indentured servitude slavery to which the African people were subject to. Another example was the convenient exploitation of the foreign Chinese, Irish and Mexican labor forces and a double standard emigration policy. Lastly the use of intimidation and force for the appropriation of foreign territories such as Hawaii, Philippines. There is help of rising rebels in other countries in order to achieve United States goals. Humans are supposed to learn from past mistakes so they do not commit them again. There is a great irony in calling other governments tyrannous and then imposing our own agenda on their society. The United States have historically and presently demonstrated what could be considered “tyrannous” behavior towards other nations and societies. The United States history has a stain in every page and therefore we are not a good candidate to intervene in other nations affairs.
On this day 191 years ago John Quincy Adams expressed his prediction for the future of Cuban-American contact. The Cuban wars of independence were only 15 years away from his prediction when he estimated. These independence wars continue to influence Cuba’s cultural and political attitude toward Europe and the United States; This in part due to the externalities involved in the remodeling of social structure in the aftermath of the revolution. The intentions and motives of each faction: rebels, United States government, Spanish government, United States public, and the Cuban public, varied widely to an extend that caused even more concern in the future. Depending on the point of view of an outsider the situation in Cuba seemed to be a continuation of revolution...
By the early 1960’s the U.S. had cut off ties with Cuba and was engaging to overthrow the Castro regime. In 1961 the Bay of Pigs Invasion, a fumbled CIA attempt to crush the government, inflamed
However, the US played a much larger role in Cuba’s past and present than the building of casinos and the introduction of the first taints of corruption. In the past, even before Batista, Americans were resented by Cubans because the Americans made a lot of Cuba’s decisions. Under Batista, 80% of Cuban imports came from the US, and the US controlled at least 50% of sugar, utilities, phones and railroads. If Cuba was a business in the stock markets, then the US would have been close to owning 50% of its shares. When combined with a long history of US-backed leaders, and US involvement, it is understandable that Cubans begrudged the Americans....
However, this does not necessarily mean colonizing Latin America, but rather having it allied and influenced by the United States' mentality and agenda. The book describes the tactics used by the United States to align these countries' policies and politics with its own. The book effectively portrays the role of the United States in the political affairs of Latin American countries. Higgins examines the Eisenhower administration's invasion of Guatemala, which resulted in a revolt to remove the leftist President Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán. The Arbenz administration posed a threat to the dominance of American companies in Guatemala, particularly the United Fruit Company.
The tropical island of Cuba had been an object of empire for the United States. Before the Missile Crisis, the relationship between Castro and the US were strained by the Bay of Pigs occurrence in 1961. This was where counterrevolutionary Cubans were American funded and tried to invade Cuba and overthrow Castro. However, the counterrevolutionaries failed. Castro then found an alliance with the Soviet Union and an increase of distrust that Castro had on the US. On January 18, 1962, the United States’ Operation Mongoose was learned. The objective would be “to help the Cubans overthrow the Communist regime” so that the US could live in peace. Consequently, Castro informed the Soviet Union that they were worried about a direct invasion on Cuba, thus longed for protection against th...