Latin America

Latin America has significant economic importance to the United States. During the cold war years the rationale for U.S. intervention was based on the perceived need to block the spread of communism in this region; it started in Cuba.

Debate over US intervention focuses on US motivation and the impact of US involvement on Latin American development. Many Latin Americans and US citizens believe US intervention is the result of imperialist tendencies: a desire to dominate Latin America as though these countries were colonies of the US. These people argue that the policy of the US is self-serving and based primarily on US economic benefit. To protect US corporate and business interests, the US supports friendly dictators in spite of human rights violations. The alumni of The School of the Americas seems to support this notion. The school was closed December 15, 2000 but was opened again in January, 2001 and renamed Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation. It continues to be a source of protest. The U.S. government defends the school and its curriculum by stating that the reputation of the school should not rest on the actions of a few "bad apples". They are given assignments by the U.S. government that help to clear up this reputation.

On the other hand, the US government has argued that economic and military aid is humanitarian and that without such aid Latin American economies would crumble and oppressive communist regimes would undermine the progress of building democracy. Still a third view is that Latin Americans are to blame for their own economic and political oppression and that US intervention has little effect. Blaming the US for indigenous problems, a historical tolerance of violent dictators, and complacency are all reasons Latin Americans cannot wrest themselves from the stagnating conditions that plague them.

*Bender, David L. and Leone, Bruno (eds) Latin America and U.S. Foreign Policy (Opposing Viewpoints) St Paul, Minnesota: Greenhaven Press 1988, p.16.