Latin America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Latin America - Essay Example Monroe Doctrine was a proof of new American imperialism, which attempted to secure American interests in the Western Hemisphere, as is evident from the speech of President James Monroe, delivered on the occasion of seventh annual meet of the Congress on December 2, 1823. It was made clear to the Western nations that America wanted no outside interference in the political matters of the countries of Western Hemisphere. Actually, the Monroe Doctrine was an indication of American desire to increase its political hold on the Latin countries, being ruled by proxy of the European powers. The purpose of the Doctrine was initially concurrent; it aimed to thwart away the European powers from the region, which later became part of its policy to bring the Latin countries under American impression, irrespective of the feelings of the people of Latin American countries. Things turned for the worse for American interests when the Monroe Doctrine was invoked in 1865 because of military support prov ided by America to the Mexican President Benito Juarez for organizing a successful revolt against the Emperor Maximilian (The Monroe Doctrine 1-2). US Policy Failure It is also contended that the Pan-American movement of the US in the 1880s and 1890s was initiated to secure the commercial stakes of the US. The leader of the movement, James G Blaine, thought that such a movement could help in reducing the European social and political impact and promote undisputed resolution of inter-linked issues of the US with Latin countries. The American attempt to enter into a treaty with eleven Latin countries for the resolution of issues could not succeed as no Latin country ratified the agreement later. Argentina was giving competition to the US to lead the region in the matter of creating economic and political impressions in South America; it boycotted the opening session of the Pan American conference (Hall and Coerver 21). The US wars in the Caribbean region were fought with the aim of ex panding the US impression strategically against Cuba and Puerto Rico. The two ocean issues focused on the significance of an Isthimian canal, increasing US stakes in Central America. The US came to recognize the critical role of the navy, an issue of top concern for the upcoming President Theodore Roosevelt. The expansionary intentions of the US in the Caribbean region created worries even in far-flung countries, as Chile and Argentina, over the US war initiative to get political and economic leverage in the hemisphere. There can be no doubt that the US took only first step in the right direction of freeing a colony, but only to become an expansionary power later. Monroe Doctrine is a proof of American defensive policy turning offensive. The American war paved the path for its becoming a global power, which was incidentally its first phase of aggressiveness through interventionist policy in the aligned area of its stakes (Hall and Coerver 21). Latin American revolutionaries were und er the wrong impression that the US would help their freedom movement but to their dismay, the US approach was cautionary. The government preferred to remain neutral. The US had doubts that any ousting of the European powers from the Hemisphere would lead to democratization of institutions. A policy shift in the US approach was seen only when Monroe became its president, but the US waging a war on Mexico was a planned attack of a powerful nation on