“STRATEGIC DENIAL”
• PROXIMITY AND PERCEIVED WEAKNESS MADE LA THREAT TO US
• STRATEGY: KEEP OTHER POWERS OUT OF LA; OUT OF WESTERN HEMISPHERE
LOUISIANA PURCHASE 1803
• US PURCHASED LOUISIANA TERRITORIES FROM
FRANCE
• NEW ORLEANS IMPORTANT PORT
•
CONTROLLED TRAFFIC VIA MISSISSIPPI RIVER
MONROE DOCTRINE 1823
• EUROPEAN ATTEMPTS TO COLONIZE AMERICAS WOULD BE VIEWED AS ACTS OF AGGRESSION SUBJECT TO
US INTERVENTION
MANIFEST DESTINY 1823 - 1898
• STEPHEN
• US DIVINELY DESTINED AND OBLIGATED
TO SPREAD WEST AND OCCUPY
CONTINENT
• SOCIAL DARWINISM INFLUENCE THAT US
AMERICANS WERE SUPERIOR TO LATIN
AMERICANS
AUSTIN (1836): THE
TEXAS CONFLICT REPRESENTED
THE CONFRONTATION BETWEEN
“A MONGREL SPANISH-INDIAN AND
NEGRO RACE, AGAINST
CIVILIZATION AND THE ANGLOAMERICAN RACE."
• GEORGE
LIPPARD, IN HIS NOVEL
LEGENDS OF MEXICO [1847],
WROTE THAT MEXICANS WERE "A
MONGREL RACE, MOLDED OF
INDIAN AND SPANISH BLOOD"
THAT WAS DESTINED TO "MELT
MEXICAN-AMERICAN WAR 1846 - 1848
• US INVADED MEXICO
• US SEIZED ½ MEXICO’S TERRITORY INCLUDING
CALIFORNIA, TEXAS, OKLAHOMA, ARIZONA,
NEVADA, PARTS OF NEW MEXICO, UTAH,
COLORADO, WYOMING
• US NOW HAD ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC SHORES
WILLIAM WALKER
1855
• 1855INUSNICARAGUA
SUPPORTED WILLIAM
•
•
WALKER TO INVADE NICARAGUA ,
ATTEMPT TO INSTALL HIMSELF AS
PRESIDENT AND LEGALIZE
SLAVERY
“INSTEAD OF MAINTAINING THE
PURITY OF THE RACES AS THE
ENGLISH DID IN THEIR
SETTLEMENTS, THE SPANIARDS
HAD CURSED THEIR COLONIAL
POSSESSIONS WITH A MIXED
RACE”
“WHENEVER BARBARISM AND
CIVILIZATION MEET FACE TO FACE…
THE RESULT MUST BE WAR.”
GUNBOAT DIPLOMACY 1898 - 1929
• SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR 1898 : US DEFEATED SPAIN AND GAINED CUBA, PUERTO RICO AND PHILIPPINES
ROOSEVELT COROLLARY 1904
TO MONROE DOCTRINE
• US RIGHT TO BE INTERNATIONAL POLICE
• INTERVENTIONIST POLICY
• AT LEAST 26 MILITARY INTERVENTIONS
• OUTRIGHT CONTROL IN CARIBBEAN AND CENTRAL AMERICA
• CREATION OF PANAMA IN 1903
PANAMA’S INDEPENDENCE FROM
COLOMBIA 1903
• ARRANGED BY US;
• US SIGNED TREATY WITH PANAMA GRANTING
CANAL ZONE FOR FUTURE CANAL TO US IN
PERPETUITY
PANAMA CANAL
• US
DESPERATELY WANTED TO BUILD
A CANAL BUT COLOMBIA WOULD NOT
SELL LAND
• ROOSEVELT
ORGANIZED REVOLT IN
PANAMA WITH US ASSISTANCE
• NEW
PANAMANIAN GOVERNMENT GAVE
US CONTROL OF CANAL ZONE FOR $10
MILLION AND US MARINE PROTECTION
• 1914
– 1977 US CONTROLLED CANAL
ZONE; RETURNED TO PANAMA IN 1977
BY PRESIDENT CARTER
•
BECAME OFFICIAL IN 1999
CUBA
• AFTER SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR, US AGREED TO
GIVE UP CUBA ON CONDITIONS
• STATIONED
US TROOPS IN CUBA
UNTIL 1933 GIVING US RIGHT TO
INTERVENE IN NAME OF “GOOD
GOVERNANCE”
• LEASED
GUANTANAMO BAY TO
US MILITARY AS NAVAL BASE
• SINCE
2002, USED AS MILITARY
PRISON FOR PRISONERS IN WAR
ON TERROR
• PLATT AMENDMENT 1901
• “THAT
THE GOVERNMENT OF
CUBA CONSENTS THAT THE
UNITED STATES MAY EXERCISE
THE RIGHT TO INTERVENE FOR
THE PRESERVATION OF CUBAN
INDEPENDENCE, THE
MAINTENANCE OF A
GOVERNMENT ADEQUATE FOR
THE PROTECTION OF LIFE,
PROPERTY, AND INDIVIDUAL
LIBERTY, AND FOR
DISCHARGING THE OBLIGATIONS
WITH RESPECT TO CUBA
IMPOSED BY THE TREATY OF
PARIS ON THE UNITED STATES,
MORE GUNBOAT DIPLOMACY INTERVENTIONS
• 1904
US TROOPS TO
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC TO
DEFEND ECONOMIC
INTERESTS (1916 – 1924
US PROTECTORATE)
• 1910
US TROOPS OCCUPY
NICARAGUA
• 1915
HAITI (US
PROTECTORATE UNTIL
1934)
• 1917
MEXICO
• “CENTRAL AMERICA HAS ALWAYS
UNDERSTOOD THAT GOVERNMENTS
WE RECOGNIZE AND SUPPORT STAY
IN POWER, WHILE THOSE WE DO
NOT RECOGNIZE AND SUPPORT
FAIL.”- SECY OF STATE ROBERT
OLDS, 1927
AUGUSTO CESAR SANDINO, NICARAGUA
• US INTERVENES 1912-1932
• SANDINO RESISTS 1926-1932
• US LEAVES ANASTASIO SOMOZA IN POWER,
1933
• SOMOZA’S NATIONAL GUARD KILLS
SANDINO, 1934
• SOMOZA FAMILY RULES NICARAGUA AS
PERSONAL FIEF WITH SUPPORT OF
NATIONAL GUARD AND US, 1932-1979
GOOD NEIGHBOR POLICY, 1929-1953
• 1929-33, US MARINES PULLED FROM
EVERY COUNTRY EXCEPT HAITI
• FDR STRESSES ECONOMIC TIES OVER
POLITICAL DOMINATION
• WWII AIDS GOOD RELATIONS
• 1948: CREATION OF ORGANIZATION OF
AMERICAN STATES (OAS) FOR
COLLECTIVE PEACEKEEPING
COLD WAR 1953-1989
• THREAT OF COMMUNISM (SOVIET UNION AND CHINA)
• EISENHOWER PRESIDENT AND JOHN FOSTER DULLES SECRETARY OF STATE 1953
• DULLES VERY WORRIED ABOUT THREAT OF COMMUNISM IN LATIN AMERICA
• AT OAS MEETING, DULLES DECLARED THAT ANY GOVERNMENT UNDER
COMMUNIST INFLUENCE WAS A THREAT AND PROMOTED MILITARY
INTERVENTION; OAS AGREED TO CONSULTATIONS RATHER THAN
INTERVENTIONS
• BEGINNING OF COVERT ROLE OF CIA IN MILITARY COUPS IN LATIN AMERICA
• SUPPORTED RIGHT-WING GOVERNMENTS NO MATTER HOW REPRESSIVE
• 1959
CUBA
CASTRO TAKES POWER
WITH GOAL OF REDUCING US
INFLUENCE IN REGION
• 1961
BAY OF PIGS INVASION
• PLANNED
BY EISENHOWER TO
OVERTHROW CASTRO
• KENNEDY
ELECTED IN 1961;
REFUSED TO COMMIT US
TROOPS
• 1962
CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS
• SOVIET
MISSILES WERE POINTED
AT US KENNEDY AND KHRUSHCHEV
MADE AGREEMENT TO WITHDRAW
MISSILES IF US PROMISED NOT TO
RESULT: EMBARGO
• EMBARGO
CUBA
• ESTABLISH
AGAINST
ALLIANCE
FOR PROGRESS:
ECONOMIC AND
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
TO LA NATIONS IN
ORDER TO QUELL
REVOLUTIONARY
TENDENCIES
COLD WAR WAS PLAYED OUT IN CENTRAL AMERICA
SOMOZA REGIME
Last ruler in Somoza family
dynasty which began in 1936
-Somoza family controlled
government, utilities, National
Guard (military/US- backed)
-removed ban on reelection
-late 40’s : largest
landowner in Nicaragua
-extreme wealth,
repressive regime
FSLN
•
•
•
BROAD BANDS OF GUERILLA
FORCES OPPOSED REGIME
FORMED FSLN
(SANDINISTAS)
NEGOTIATE RANSOM GET
FSLN PRISONERS RELEASED
FROM JAIL AND FLOWN TO
PANAMA (DECLARATION READ
OVER
THE
RADIO AND PRINTED)
• SOMOZA
RESPONDED WITH
CENSORSHIP, INTIMIDATION,
TORTURE AND MURDER.
• 1975 – SOMOZA & NATIONAL GUARD LAUNCH VIOLENT CAMPAIGN AT FSLN.
*STATE OF SIEGE*
• PRESS CENSORED
• ALL OPPONENTS THREATENED WITH DETENTION AND TORTURE.
• INDIVIDUALS SUSPECTED OF COLLABORATING WITH THE FSLN ARE TARGETED
• BEGINNING OF CIVIL WAR
• FSLN OVERCOME THE NATIONAL GUARD ACROSS THE COUNTRY. (1979)
• BY THE END OF JUNE 1979 ALL OF NICARAGUA IS UNDER FSLN CONTROL EXCEPT THE CAPITAL, WHERE
SOMOZA IS.. FACING CERTAIN DEFEAT, SOMOZA RESIGNS AS PRESIDENT ;FLEES TO MIAMI THEN PARAGUAY.
• 1979: SANDINISTAS RULED COUNTRY
•
-LEFTIST GROUP; BACKED BY SOVIET UNION AND CUBA
• ORIGINALLY RULED BY “JUNTA OF NATIONAL RECONSTRUCTION”(GROUP OF PEOPLE)
• 1980, SOMOZA WAS ASSASSINATED
IN PARAGUAY, WHERE HE WAS IN
EXILE
• STORY OF NICARAGUAN REVOLUTION
REAGAN IN NICARAGUA
• 1981 – REAGAN CLAIMED NICARAGUA WAS PROVIDING ARMS TO GUERRILLAS IN EL SALVADOR
(CUBA & SOVIET UNION)
US BEGINS A CAMPAIGN TO ISOLATE THE FSLN.
ALL US AID SUSPENDED
AUTHORIZES CIA TO FUND AND TRAIN RIGHT-WING REBELS (“CONTRAS”) OPERATING
FROM HONDURAS.
•
•
•
•
CONTRAS ARE MOSTLY FORMER MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL GUARD
• 1985 - CONGRESS SUSPENDS FUNDS TO CONTRAS
• REAGAN ADMINISTRATION ORDERS EMBARGO ON US TRADE WITH NICARAGUA.
•
DEVASTATING EFFECT ON THE COUNTRY'S ECONOMY
• PROVIDING INDIRECT ASSISTANCE TO THE CONTRAS
1986 - CONGRESS VOTES TO RESUME AID TO CONTRAS.
US$100 MILLION MILITARY AND NONMILITARY ASSISTANCE
IRAN-CONTRA
AFFAIR
•
1986 REVEALED THAT STAFF IN THE REAGAN ADMINISTRATION ATTEMPTED TO
CIRCUMVENT THE 1985 CONGRESSIONAL BAN ON AID TO THE CONTRAS BY ILLEGALLY
DIVERTING FUNDS FROM WEAPONS SALES TO IRAN
• REAGAN TRIED TO DIVERT MONIES FOR CONTRAS BY OVERCHARGING IRAN FOR
WEAPONS IN A DEAL TO RELEASE AMERICAN HOSTAGES IN LEBANON
• 1987 –
• US CONGRESS AGAIN WITHDRAWS AID TO THE CONTRAS FOLLOWING THE IRANCONTRA AFFAIR
•
•
•
•
STALEMATE,
NEGOTIATED PEACE SETTLEMENT.
TEMPORARY CEASE-FIRE AGREEMENT MARCH 1988.
~30,000 – 50,000 DEAD
EL SALVADOR
• EL SALVADOR; A SIMILAR GUERRILLA MOVEMENT WAS AFOOT TO TOPPLE THE GOVT WHICH ALSO WAS
RULED BY LANDOWNING ELITE; RIGHT-WING DEATH SQUADS WERE FIGHTING THE REBELS AND ANY
SYMPATHIZERS INCLUDING ROMERO AND 4 CHURCHWOMEN; DEATH SQUADS TRAINED BY US WHO
(UNDER REAGAN) WOULD TAKE ANY ACTION TO DEFAT REBELS
EL SALVADOR, 1979-1992
• FMLN UNITES GUERRILLA GROUPS
IN 1980
• ASSASSINATION OF ARCHBISHOP
OSCAR ROMERO, 1980
$6 BILLION IN US MILITARY AID TO
GOVT.
• DEATH SQUADS
1992 PEACE ACCORDS
•
•
ARCHBISHOP OSCAR ROMERO,
EL SALVADOR
Liberation theologian; outspoken critic of military junta;
Murdered in 1980
"You say that you are Christian. If you are really Christian, please stop sending
military aid to the military here, because they use it only to kill my people."
(From a letter to President Carter)
4 church women raped killed in 1980 by
El Salvadoran National Guard
The story