The Western World Daily Readings on Geography Chapter 69 Latin America and the Caribbean (LACAR) Political Geography I

CHAPTER 69 Latin America and the Caribbean ( Political Geography I The Monroe Doctrine and the Cold War THE MONROE DOCTRINE Created by Made Made from Noun By 1823 , many Latin American countries had gained their independence from Spain and Portugal , or were in the process of doing so . That year , in his State of the Union address , United States Monroe issued a proclamation that would later come to be known as the Monroe Doctrine . It stated that once a colony in the Americas gained its independence , the would not permit a European power to attempt to colonize it . For example , once Mexico was independent from Spain , the would help defend Mexico , not only from Spanish recolonization , but also from British or French attempts to colonize it . If you an optimist , you could put a positive spin on the Monroe Doctrine that Monroe was recognizing the shared history of all former colonies of Europe , and that he was sticking up for his brethren in the Americas . And there is some truth to that . If you a pessimist , you could put a negative spin on the Monroe Doctrine that Monroe was intent on replacing European dominance over Latin America with the United States dominance over Latin America . There is also some truth to that . Most presidents who followed Monroe adhered strictly to his doctrine of limiting European influence in Latin 334

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN ( GEOGRAPHY I 335 America , but one dramatically expanded influence in the region . In 1898 , the United States went to war with Spain , seizing Puerto Rico and Cuba , and several other small islands . A hero of that war , Theodore Roosevelt , would be thrust to national prominence , and serve as the president from 1901 to 1909 . Roosevelt believed that the United States had the right to intervene in the internal affairs of Latin American countries any time the economic or political interests ofthe were threatened . This philosophy is often called the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine . In 1903 , the United States supported Panamanian rebels in their war for independence from Colombia . Not coincidentally , one of the first actions ofthe newly independent Panama was to cede land to the United States that allowed for the construction of the Panama Canal . Between 1903 and 1925 , the United States invaded Cuba twice , and Honduras on seven different occasions . The essentially occupied from 1912 to 1933 , Haiti from 1915 to 1934 , and the Dominican Republic from 1916 to 1924 . In all cases , the United States was protecting authoritarian regimes who away , om door may were friendly to American business interests that is , regimes that Theodore , kept wages and taxes low on plantations and mines that supplied Colombia . By Charles Green Bush New York American Domain , This era of interventions would end in 1934 when Theodore Roosevelt distant cousin , President Franklin Roosevelt , instituted the Good Neighbor Policy , which pledged American respect for the sovereignty of Latin American countries . This was not , however , the end of meddling in the region . THE COLD WAR By the early , there was growing frustration among Latin America landless and poor populations . People were frustrated with the increasing concentration of wealth and political power in the hands of the ruling class . They were frustrated by the lack of democracy in the region , and by increasing influence . Many began to embrace a communist philosophy . Unfortunately for many communist revolutionaries of the early , they had little chance of overthrowing the authoritarian governments that controlled the region . These governments were usually either dictatorships or democracies . They were supportive of , and supported by , foreign corporations and Latin America wealthy . These authoritarian regimes were propped up by large militaries with huge budgets , often subsidized by the United States . Everything changed with the dawn of the Cold War . Now , communist revolutionaries in Latin America had a significant benefactor . The Soviet Union was willing to finance and arm throughout the region . Conflicts between governments and rebels flared in Argentina , Bolivia , Brazil , Chile , Colombia , the Dominican Republic , El Salvador , Panama , and Peru . The United States was generally on the winning side of this Cold War chess match . Only two communist revolutions were successful in Cuba in 1959 , and in 1979 . The United States success in curbing communist expansion in Latin America came at a cost . During the Cold War , the United States adhered to what is sometimes called the Our Dictator philosophy . The thought was that

336 JOEL QUAM AND SCOTT CAMPBELL the United States should support dictators , because if we did support our dictator , he would be replaced by their dictator a ruler loyal to the Soviet Union . The United States did indeed support a rogue gallery of dictators in Latin America . Some particularly notorious examples include of Chile , Manuel of Panama , and the regime of . came to power in a 1974 military coup that was orchestrated by the United States . He then ruled the country until 1990 , killing thousands of political opponents , and torturing tens more . Manuel was an intelligence officer trained by the United States . He ruled Panama with support in the 19805 , and had a very shady human rights record . His regime ended in 1989 , when he was indicted by the United States on drug trafficking charges , and removed from power by a invasion . The family and their allies ruled for years , torturing and murdering political opponents , silencing the media , violating human rights , and robbing the country blind . But they were ardently , so they were supported by the United States . It is not coincidental that , and many more Latin American dictators were forced from power in the late 19805 and early . As the Soviet Union collapsed , it was no longer willing or able to support communist rebellions in Latin America , so the United States largely abandoned the Our Dictator policy . support for these regimes crumbled , so did the regimes . RELATIONS Perhaps the strangest example of the United States relationship with Latin American can be found in Cuba . The United States granted Cuba nominal independence in 1902 . In reality , Cuba was a satellite state of the for the next several decades , with a series of authoritarian regimes governing the island under the watchful eye of the American government . American companies had major stakes in Cuba two leading industries plantation agriculture and tourism . Cuba exported sugar and tobacco to the , and Havana was a major American playground it was like today Miami and Las Vegas rolled into one . The wanted to keep taxes and wages in Cuba low to maximize profits . This led to a discontented working class , many of whom began to support a rebellion led by Fidel Castro in the 19505 . Created by Javier Flowers nom Noun On New Year Day , 1959 , Castro militia overthrew the government of Batista , the dictator . A large number of Cubans fled the island and established residence in other Caribbean islands , or in Florida . Castro regime aligned with the Soviet Union , much to the horror of the United States .

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN ( POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY I 337 Communism had arrived on America doorstep 80 miles off the coast of Florida . To the , Cuba represented an unsinkable Soviet aircraft carrier . Since then , the and Cuba have had a strained , and often bizarre , relationship . Two ofthe biggest came early on . In 1961 , the CIA orchestrated the Bay of Pigs invasion ( named for its landing site ) The invasion was carried out by Cuban exiles hoping to retake their country from Castro . It was a spectacular failure . In 1962 , the world endured the Cuban Missile Crisis . spy planes had discovered sites meant for the installation of Soviet nuclear missiles . President Kennedy ordered a naval quarantine of Cuba , insisting that the Soviets remove all missile silos from the island . Tensions mounted for several days , and many feared it would escalate into a nuclear war between the and the Soviet Union . The Soviet Union eventually flinched , and agreed to remove the missile batteries in Cuba . Secretly , the United States had also agreed to remove missiles form Turkey . Reportedly , the CIA made several attempts to assassinate Castro during the ( including one attempt involving an exploding cigar ) None of them were successful . Perhaps the most prominent example of the sour relationship between the two countries is the travel and trade embargo . For more than five decades , it was illegal for Americans to sell any products to Cuba , or to buy any products from Cuba . That why Cuban cigars became so highly prized they are illegal in the United States . Americans were also forbidden , with few exceptions , from travelling to Cuba . journalists , academics , religious leaders , and humanitarian workers were permitted to go there , but not tourists . Of course , American tourists continued to travel there , they just had to go by way of another country ) Prior to 1959 , American agricultural markets and tourists had been , by far , the leading source of revenue for Cuba , so the embargo had shattering consequences for the country economy . The had similar against other communist states during the Cold War , but nearly all ofthem were lifted in the early . The had an embargo , for example , on Vietnam . The had fought a devastating war in Vietnam in the and , one that killed more than military personnel . The same communist government that had fought the was still in power when the Vietnam embargo was lifted in 1993 . If the had managed to bury the hatchet with Vietnam , surely it would with Cuba . But it did . As the Cold into the past , the United States kept its Cuban embargo in place . by Studio from Noun This has everything to do with Florida . Florida is a classic swing state , divided evenly between Republicans and Democrats . Its two senate seats are almost always in play and , more importantly , it has 29 votes in the electoral college . In the last fourteen presidential elections , a candidate has won the general election without carrying one time . The state is nearly indispensable when it comes to a winning presidential campaign . As mentioned above , many of the wealthy Cubans who fled Castro revolution settled in Florida . They and their descendants harbored bitter resentment toward the Castro regime , who had confiscated their property and

338 JOEL QUAM AND SCOTT CAMPBELL forced them to flee their homeland . These are deeply influential in Florida politics , both as voters and political donors . Nevertheless , in 2015 , the and Cuba made moved to normalize relations . The United States and Cuba opened their respective embassies in Havana and Washington for the first time in five decades . In 2016 , Barack Obama became the first American president to visit Cuba in nearly nine decades . The two countries began negotiations to end the embargo . The United States eased some trade and travel restrictions during President Obama last months in office , but the full embargo has not been lifted . There are still issues to work out . The United States insists that Cuba ease restrictions on freedom of speech and information , which Cuba is not inclined to do . There are also disagreements on economic damage claims . hold judgments from courts them to billion in reparations for property seized by the Castro regime back in 1959 . Cuba insists that the United States pay 150 billion in damages for the hardships Cuba has suffered as a result of the embargo . Since taking office in 2017 , President Trump has shown no inclination to continue negotiations with Cuba . Did You Know ?

In a 2012 magazine interview , Miami Marlins baseball manager expressed admiration for Fidel Castro . Although the was admiring Castro longevity , and not his politics , the Marlins Florida was outraged . was suspended by the team for games , and fired later that season .