The Alliance for Progress, launched by JFK in 1961, aimed to boost economic growth and social development in Latin America. With $20 billion in aid, it funded projects in housing, education, and healthcare while promoting land reform and infrastructure development.

U.S. counter-insurgency efforts included training Latin American military personnel at the School of the Americas and deploying Green Berets. The CIA also engaged in covert operations to destabilize leftist governments, supporting right-wing forces during the Cold War.

Alliance for Progress

Economic Development and Land Reform Initiatives

• John F. Kennedy launched the Alliance for Progress in 1961 as a foreign aid program aimed at promoting economic and social development in Latin America
• The program provided $20 billion in aid over 10 years to fund projects such as housing, education, and health care
• Land reform was a key component of the Alliance for Progress, which sought to redistribute land more equitably among the population
• The program encouraged Latin American governments to expropriate large landholdings and redistribute them to landless peasants
• Economic development initiatives included investments in infrastructure projects (roads, bridges, and power plants) to stimulate economic growth and industrialization
• The Alliance for Progress also promoted the creation of cooperatives and credit unions to provide financial services to rural communities and small businesses

Political and Social Objectives

• The Alliance for Progress had political and social objectives beyond economic development, aimed at countering the influence of communism in Latin America after the Cuban Revolution
• The program sought to promote democracy, human rights, and social reforms as alternatives to communist ideology
• Kennedy believed that improving living standards and reducing social inequalities would make Latin American countries less susceptible to communist revolutions
• The Alliance for Progress encouraged governments to adopt progressive policies (progressive taxation, minimum wage laws, and social welfare programs) to address social inequalities
• The program also aimed to strengthen ties between the United States and Latin American countries through increased trade, cultural exchanges, and diplomatic cooperation

U.S. Counter-insurgency Training

School of the Americas

• The School of the Americas, located in Panama, was a U.S. military training center that provided counter-insurgency training to Latin American military personnel from 1946 to 2000
• The school trained over 60,000 soldiers and officers from Latin American countries in counter-insurgency tactics, intelligence gathering, and psychological warfare
• Critics accused the school of training human rights abusers and perpetrators of military coups, as some of its graduates were involved in human rights violations and the overthrow of democratically elected governments (Argentina, Chile, and Guatemala)
• The school's curriculum included courses on interrogation techniques, military intelligence, and the use of torture, which raised concerns about the U.S. government's role in supporting repressive regimes

Green Berets and Special Forces Training

• The U.S. Army Special Forces, known as the Green Berets, played a significant role in counter-insurgency training and operations in Latin America during the Cold War
• Green Berets were deployed to Latin American countries to train local military forces in counter-insurgency tactics and to assist in combat operations against leftist guerrilla groups
• The Green Berets provided training in unconventional warfare, guerrilla tactics, and psychological operations to help Latin American governments combat insurgencies
• U.S. Special Forces also participated in direct combat operations alongside Latin American military forces, such as the hunt for Che Guevara in Bolivia in 1967

Covert Operations

Operation Condor and the National Security Doctrine

• Operation Condor was a secret intelligence and operations program coordinated by right-wing military dictatorships in South America during the 1970s and 1980s, with the support of the United States
• The program aimed to eliminate leftist opposition and subversion through the exchange of intelligence, the kidnapping and assassination of political opponents, and cross-border operations
• Operation Condor was justified under the National Security Doctrine, which prioritized national security and the fight against communism over individual rights and democratic principles
• The National Security Doctrine, promoted by the United States, provided a justification for military coups and the establishment of authoritarian regimes in Latin America (Brazil in 1964, Chile in 1973, and Argentina in 1976)

CIA Interventions and Destabilization Efforts

• The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) engaged in covert operations and interventions in Latin American countries to destabilize leftist governments and support right-wing forces during the Cold War
• The CIA provided financial support, training, and weapons to opposition groups and military forces to overthrow democratically elected governments perceived as threats to U.S. interests (Guatemala in 1954, Brazil in 1964, and Chile in 1973)
• In Chile, the CIA supported the military coup that overthrew the democratically elected socialist president Salvador Allende in 1973, resulting in the establishment of Augusto Pinochet's military dictatorship
• The CIA also engaged in propaganda campaigns, media manipulation, and the funding of opposition parties to influence public opinion and undermine leftist governments in Latin America (Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Grenada)