Historically, it has been observed that the greatest cause of American interference in Latin American economical, political and socio-political settings has been Americas desire to maintain economical control over these less developed Latin American nations. Such policies have been practiced by America consistently throughout modern history and an example of this policy being performed in another geographical region would be the Middle East. America’s entry to Iraq although extremely controversial, led to gross economic benefit for the north American nation. The war on terror put the National Rifle Association in a favorable position and many American weapon manufacturers e.g. Boeing benefited heavily.
This week’s focus relates to the American influence in Latin America, which is unparalleled today in comparison to other modern superpowers. But to what extent is America influential? How does the influence of the USA in Latin America compare to the influence of Latin America in the USA? I will attempt to answer the questions in relation to Guatemala and Banana Production.
One of the answers as to how the US is able to have such a large influence on Latin America lies in its multinational companies. The reading Journey to Banana Land refers to the multinational corporation UFCO, which monopolized the production of bananas in Guatemala and owned a vast amount of lands in the Latin American state. Due to their great control of public services, infrastructure and their contribution to the Guatemalan economy, it was difficult for UFCO not to get their way.
American control of media is another aspect of their influence in Latin America. Although completely different scenarios, and although I do not necessarily have a certain view of Palestinian leader Arafat, it was easy for me as an Arab to draw comparison between two scenarios. When Arafat was made out to be a terrorist, then a peace-making diplomat, then a terrorist again, and when Arbenz, who Alexander Dawson describes as ‘anti-communist’, was made out to be a communist by American media after he opposed the UFCO.
In conclusion, it was interesting for me to acknowledge the extent of American influence in Latin America this week. Especially in regards to their trade policies and influence of culture, keeping in mind the recent election of right-wing candidate Donald Trump.