U.S Imperialism in Latin America

U.S Imperialism in Latin America
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U.S Imperialism in Latin America
Introduction
U.S. Imperialism can be defined as the approach and implementation of expanding American influence, control, and dominance over other countries, with a particular focus on Latin America. At the advent of the last century, nations began jostling for power and influence. The U.S. came to the forefront of this effort and embarked on global impact to assert its position as a global power. At a time when there was increased conflict around the world, the U.S. strived to establish influence on its neighbors, particularly in Latin America. The result took on various methods, such as through the use of force in the form of military intervention or through the threat of force, to influence the national policy of the target nation. The goal of American imperialism in Latin America, just like the rest of the world, was to protect its interests. U.S imperialism in Latin America has impacted these countries in various ways and has also been a chief reason for the immigration problem in the U.S.
U.S.A Imperialism in Latin America and Its Impacts
U.S. imperialism dates back to the late 19th century when there was a realization that other than just colonizing the neighboring territories, there was also the need to police the surrounding nations. At a time when the Spanish influence was slowly waning in Latin America, the U.S. took advantage to show its muscle and assert power (Gonzalez, 2022). The Spanish-American war became decisive as it heralded the beginning of the end of Spanish imperialism and the start of American imperialism. Spain ceded much of its territories to the U.S. The likes of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Costa Rica soon came under the influence or control of the U.S (Gonzalez, 2022). Ever since the Second World War, the U.S. has presented itself as a nation of free people and the epitome of liberty. It became an idealistic belief that endeared it to many nations worldwide. After the Vietnam War, the U.S. presented itself as the ultimate defender of democracy on earth. All these were great ideals to fight for and for people to believe in. The problem, however, is that some of the actions it took in Latin America as part of its imperialistic efforts became the direct opposite of what it said to stand for (Harvest of Empire Film n.d.).
The U.S. soon began policing the neighboring nations in Latin America to ensure prolonged economic domination over them. This is through influencing the type of leaders that these nations would elect so that they are simply pro-American. For those nations that do not align with this, the U.S. would try and engage in regime change. This script has been followed several times over the past century in much of Latin America, such as Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Belize. The methods used by the U.S. would either be covert or overt, depending on the situation at hand (Gonzalez, 2022).
Overt operations involved direct, forceful interventions, such as in Cuba and the military intervention in the Dominican Republic...