The United States, the Soviet Union, and Cold War Latin America

This presentation will explore the ways the United States wielded its power and influence in what was widely perceived among the national security establishment as its sphere of influence, Latin America. Some of the Cold War’s most profound and transformative episodes occurred in Latin America, including the Cuban revolution and missile crisis; the peaceful election in Chile of the first openly Marxist head of state; the Nicaraguan revolution and regional war in Central America; and the neocolonial war over the Falklands/Malvinas Islands. US foreign policymakers employed a variety of strategies to enforce “hemispheric solidarity” in the face of the perceived Soviet threat, including military assistance and training, economic aid, covert operations, and bilateral and regional diplomacy. This presentation will examine some of these strategies at key inflection points in the Cold War and evaluate their effectiveness in achieving long-term US policy objectives.