Understanding U.S. foreign policy in Latin America requires a critical examination of the beliefs held by policymakers regarding the region's significance to national security. Lars Schoultz provides insights into these underlying perspectives, offering readers a framework to engage with current debates surrounding U.S. actions and interests in Latin America.
The United States and the Cuban Revolution
The book provides an in-depth analysis of U.S. policy towards the Cuban Revolution, highlighting the challenges faced by ten U.S. administrations in their efforts to undermine it. Through extensive documentation and interviews with key officials, the author reveals how Cuba's steadfast commitment to self-determination has consistently complicated American strategies. This resistance has not only shaped U.S. domestic politics but has also had significant implications for international relations, leading to an enduring freeze in diplomatic ties.
In this sweeping history of U.S. policy toward Latin America, Schoultz shows that the U.S. has always perceived Latin America as a fundamentally inferior neighbor. Drawing on extraordinarily rich archival sources, Schoultz, one of America's foremost Latin America scholars, shows how these core beliefs have not changed for two centuries.
Focusing on the influence of humanitarian values, this study examines U.S. foreign policy toward Latin America from the early sixties to 1980. It explores the reasons these values shaped government decision-making and analyzes how internal bureaucratic processes influenced the specific content of policies during this pivotal era. The author provides insights into the complex interplay between human rights considerations and political strategies in shaping U.S. actions in the region.
For over a century the U.S. has improved the peoples of Latin America by promoting everything from representative democracy and economic development to oral hygiene. How did this paternalistic practice evolve and spread globally and what are the troubling consequences for a country with a habit of giving- and for others with a habit of receiving?