US Intervention In South America

South America, post World War II, was subjected to many military regimes and conflicting ideas. From extreme democracy to extreme communism, there were supporters of all types of reform. Foreign countries, especially the United States, used this division to influence governments to be favorable to them. Throughout these regimes, human and civil rights developed to what they are now. The Catholic Church played a huge role in South American politics and culture during this time, too. South America advanced in the 20th century with the guidance of outside powers. During the Second World War, South America was quite active with Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini, working in things like espionage and being a territory that the Axis soldiers could
It would intervene in South American countries “to protect [the] economic, social, strategic, and ideological interests” of America. The US would remove the power and replace it by a corrupt, conservative, and authoritarian rule that favors it. Then, the cold war led to US support of democratic, anti-communistic governments, and during this time, it intervened with countries not considered friendly. The first involvement of the US was in Uruguay in 1947, when the US had to issue a nuclear threat in order to show strength to the world. In 1948, the US created the Organization of America States to help the US prevent communism in the Americas and to help with relations between countries. No countries in the organization could be communistic or totalitarian, and no countries could intervene with others within the organization. It was a disappointment to all, for the United States kept interfering in the affairs of other nations and some of the other countries were socialistic. The US created the Alliance of Progress in 1961 to prevent poor countries from becoming communistic by offering aid for nations that were democratic. The Unites States tried to establish good relations with South America by creating the Peace Corps and sending volunteers there beginning in 1961. In the same year in Ecuador, the CIA helped overthrow President J. M. Velasco Ibarra for being “too friendly” with Cuba. In Brazil in 1962,
A greatly conservative right-wing was against change. A radical left-wing empathized with radicals, and some even wanted a complete revolution, changing the church from an organization run by high class elites to a grassroots organization based in the lower classes. A moderate middle wanted to keep current social structures but achieve social change. Two events in 1964 Brazil show the great divide in Church politics. In one event, women participated in the “Marches of the Family with God for Liberty” to protest “communism and corruption” of João Goulart. This came from the Church in the 40’s and 50’s regarding “communism as the chief threat to everything that was valued.” In the other event, youth tried to initiate a socialist revolution. This radical viewpoint was received by Catholic Action Organizations run by higher church members. Overall, the Church opposed conservative