History of U.S. Interventions in Latin America

.
History of U.S. Interventions in Latin America

Location

Period

Type of Force

Comments on U.S. Role

Argentina

1890

Troops

Buenos Aires interests protected

Chile

1891

Troops

Marines clash with nationalist rebels

Haiti

1891

Troops

Black workers revolt on U.S.-claimed Navassa Island defeated

Nicaragua

1894

Troops

Month-long occupation of Bluefields

Panama

1895

Naval, troops

Marines land in Colombian province

Nicaragua

1896

Troops

Marines land in port of Corinto

Cuba

1898-

Naval, troops

Seized from Spain, U.S. still holds Navy base at Guantanamo

Puerto Rico

1898-

Naval, troops

Seized from Spain, occupation continues

Nicaragua

1898

Troops

Marines land at port of San Juan del Sur

Nicaragua

1899

Troops

Marines land at port of Bluefields

Honduras

1903

Troops

Marines intervene in revolution

Dominican Republic

1903-04

Troops

U.S. interests protected in Revolution

Cuba

1906-09

Troops

Marines land in democratic election

Nicaragua

1907

Troops

"Dollar Diplomacy" protectorate set up

Honduras

1907

Troops

Marines land during war with Nicaragua

Panama

1908

Troops

Marines intervene in election contest

Nicaragua

1910

Troops

Marines land in Bluefields and Corinto

Honduras

1911

Troops

U.S. interests protected in civil war

Cuba

1912

Troops

U.S. interests protected in Havana

Panama

1912

Troops

Marines land during heated election

Honduras

1912

Troops

Marines protect U.S. economic interests

Nicaragua

1912-33

Troops, bombing

20-year occupation, fought guerrillas

Mexico

1913

Naval

Americans evacuated during revolution

Dominican Republic

1914

Naval

Fight with rebels over Santo Domingo

Mexico

1914-18

Naval, troops

Series of interventions against nationalists

Haiti

1914-34

Troops, bombing

19-year occupation after revolts

Dominican Republic

1916-24

Troops

8-year Marine occupation

Cuba

1917-33

Troops

Military occupation, economic protectorate

Panama

1918-20

Troops

"Police duty" during unrest after elections

Honduras

1919

Troops

Marines land during election campaign

Guatemala

1920

Troops

2-week intervention against unionists

Costa Rica

1921

Troops

 

Panama

1921

Troops

 

Honduras

1924-25

Troops

Landed twice during election strife

Panama

1925

Troops

Marines suppress general strike

El Salvador

1932

Naval

Warships sent during Faribundo Marti revolt

Uruguay

1947

Nuclear threat

Bombers deployed as show of strength

Puerto Rico

1950

Command operation

Independence rebellion crushed in Ponce

Guatemala

1954-?

Command operation, bombing, nuclear threat

CIA directs exile invasion and coup d'Etat after newly elected government nationalizes unused U.S.'s United Fruit Company lands; bombers based in Nicaragua; long-term result: 200,000 murdered

Panama

1958

Troops

Flag protests erupt into confrontation

Cuba

1961

Command operation

CIA-directed exile invasion fails

Cuba

1962

Nuclear threat, naval

Blockade during missile crisis; near-war with Soviet Union

Panama

1964

Troops

Panamanians shot for urging canal's return

Dominican Republic

1965-66

Troops, bombing

Marines land during election campaign

Guatemala

1966-67

Command operation

Green Berets intervene against rebels

Chile

1973

Command operation

CIA-backed coup ousts democratically elected Marxist president

El Salvador

1981-92

Command operation, troops

Advisors, overflights aid anti-rebel war, soldiers briefly involved in hostage clash; long-term result: 75,000 murdered and destruction of popular movement

Nicaragua

1981-90

Command operation, naval

CIA directs exile (Contra) invasions, plants harbor mines against revolution; result: 50,000 murdered

Honduras

1982-90

Troops

Maneuvers help build bases near borders

Grenada

1983-84

Troops, bombing

Invasion four years after revolution

Bolivia

1987

Troops

Army assists raids on cocaine region

Panama

1989

Troops, bombing

Nationalist government ousted by 27,000 soldiers, leaders arrested, 2000+ killed

Haiti

1994-95

Troops, naval

Blockade against military government; troops restore President Aristide to office three years after coup

Venezuela

2002

Command operation

Failed coup attempt to remove left-populist president Hugo Chavez

Haiti

2004-

Troops

Removal of democratically elected President Aristide; troops occupy country

Sources:

Blum, William. Killing Hope: U.S. Military and CIA Interventionism Since World War II. Monroe, Maine: Common Courage Press, 1995.

Ege & Makhijani. "180 Landings by the U.S. Marine Corps" (History Division), Counterspy (July-Aug. 1982). Foreign Affairs Division, Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.

Instances of Use of Armed Forces Abroad, 1798-1945. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1975, revision of 1969 version.

Grossman, Zoltan. Over a Century of U.S. Military Interventions. Self-published, revised Jan. 1, 1995.

Sklar, Holly. "Who's Who: Invading 'Our' Hemisphere 1831-," Z Magazine (Feb. 1990).

U.S. Congress, Committee on Foreign Affairs' Report. Background Information on the Use of United States Armed Forces in Foreign Countries. Washington, D.C.: 91st Congress, 2nd Session, 1970.

Zinn, Howard. A People's History of the United States. New York: Perennial Library, Harper & Row, 1980.

Also see Zoltan Grossman, From Wounded Knee to Iraq (A Chronology of U.S. Imperialism)


Latin American Resources

Please send any suggestions, comments, corrections, additions, etc. to Marc Becker at marc@truman.edu