THE COLD WAR iN LATiN AMERiCA: U.S.INTERVENTiONiSM

Introduction:

This essay examines how the United States intervened in Guatemala's domestic politics to protect commercial interests and curb the spread of communism. This essay will focus on the Guatemalan Civil War and the state-sponsored genocide of the Maya, while highlighting the role of the United States.

Context：

Following their Independence from European powers, the inhabitants of many Latin American countries assumed they would be free to govern themselves—only to be proven wrong when the United States quickly set their eyes on the region. From the Monroe Doctrine to the Roosevelt Corollary and the Truman Doctrine, America made it clear that it would interfere in other countries’ affairs as they saw fit. The United States intervened in Latin America’s domestic affairs to protect their commercial interests and halt the spread of communism. This essay will focus on the United States’ military activities south of the border during the Cold War, using the case study of Guatemala, beginning with the coup of Jacobo Arbenz in 1954 and the following U.S. backed counterinsurgencies for most of the remainder of the 20th century. First, it will examine the United States’ influence in Latin America to safeguard their commercial interests. Next, it will explore the United States’ attempts to curb the spread of communism...

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Author: Fabiola Cruz Li