Imperial U.S. treatment of Latin America
Let's be honest, imperial U.S. has always seen Latin America as colonies, treating them with contempt, arrogance and racism; shamelessly plundering the resources and masses of Latin America. Uncle Sam has left Latin America weak and moribund with it's scores of invasions, with it's countless plots and intrigues, all at the detriment of the people. He has not treated the people of Latin America with friendship, brotherhood and charity but rather with treachery, death and bondage. Uncle Sam is nothing but a brutal butcher; a butcher who, from Chile to Mexico, has left a legacy of death and destruction. If I sound harsh it is because I am bitter at seeing a history of disrespect toward the people of Latin America; uncle Sam has never been and never will be a friend; it will always be a bully; a beast as the great national poet and liberator of Cuba, Jose Marti, described the US over a century ago.
Just as the Romans and other imperial powers centuries ago weaved plots and conspiracy; using gold to corrupt and to buy off favors, so has U.S. imperialism, weaved webs of intrigues, rewarding and protecting, in the process, all those who would do their dirty work; breaking all norms of international laws, and norms of decency and morality in the process.
When imperial U.S. wanted to build a canal in a province of Colombia, what did it do? Upon not persuading Columbia to give up the area to build the canal, in 1903, it plotted with the Frenchman Philippe Bunau-Varilla to back the secession from Colombia, recognizing a rebel band in less than 90 minutes after it seized power and helping it maintain power by sending 10 gunboats to Colon and Panama City. The new constitution was drawn up by the Frenchman in a Washington Hotel. In matter of fact he was made president of what is now Panama onboard a U.S. gunboat ! By the way the corpses of many who died building the canal were sold to medical schools.
In the 50's when president elect Arbenz of Guatemala, spoke about some modest reforms and tried to distribute land to the poor and the landless peasants, U.S. firms - like the U.S. Fruit Co. - which were exploiting and sucking Guatemala dry began to get nervous and ask the imperial senate for help. Imperial U.S. once again started it's propaganda machine, the media began to attack president Arbenz from all side, while Washington started to weave it's schemes and tricks. To topple the govt. it sponsored a band of 200 men, supplying them with arms and money. Using radio broadcast propaganda that made the opposition look greater than it was and using illegal - when did they ever care - air strikes forced the downfall of the freely elected democratic govt. of Arbenz.
Latin American history is full of, brutal invasions, of CIA plots and assassinations all directed and sponsored by the U.S. Dozens upon dozens of invasions, together with US overt and covert support of dictators and right wing death squads have been the cause of death for millions of Latin American people over the years. In the name of democracy and liberty uncle Sam and his conspirators have murdered millions in Latin America.
Whether in Argentina, for example, when pro US military governments tortured and murdered tens of thousands of dissidents, communists, socialists and progressives, going as far as kidnapping the children of activists, in the 70's, or in Salvador where right wing pro US thugs tortured and murdered hundreds of thousands, the US has looked the other way financing and training assassins, as is the case of the School of the Americas, in Benning, GA where some of the most infamous butchers have learned the skills of torture and murder.
Latin American history is full of those puppets of the empire; is full of dictators and generals made in the U.S.A; all serving their master's interests. When in 1976, for example, at the height of the bloodbath of the Pinochet regime, where hundreds upon hundreds were being tortured and murdered there was Henry Kissinger at the White House apologizing to Pinochet for the treatment the U.S. had given him, as some voices in congress began to question human rights abuses in Chile. When Batista came to power after a military coup there was uncle Sam's representative Richard Nixon meeting with the new U.S. backed dictator; praising him and making political and economic accomodations. The Batistas, the Trujillos, the Pinochets, the Sormozas were all monsters created by the U.S. empire; all serving the empire while they were brutalizing and murdering their people.
From time to time some of these dogs have turned on their master, as is the case of the dictator of the Dominican Republic, Trujillo. Uncle Sam turned the other way while he was butchering his people. However, when the tortures and the human rights violation became so gross and most importantly when he turned on uncle Sam, asserting his independence, going against his master's interests, stating that he would, for example, sell sugar and other commodities to the highest bidder, the US imperialists began to shiver. They got so upset that they gave the green light for his assassination.
Another is Noriega, George Bush's Panamanian pal - there are even photos of Bush and his buddy in the White House. He was a obedient puppet, a good ally. But once he decided to be more independent, more nationalistic, and defy the beast, the monster began to use his propaganda machine against him. Rumors of drug trafficking began to circulate daily in the U.S. press. If it was true, do you expect me to believe that good old Bush - an ex director of the CIA - did not have knowledge of it before hand? Of course they knew, but it was ok as long as he was our ally. I don't doubt that the CIA was in it. Remember the CIA involvement in the Iran Contra scandal and the trafficking of drugs. Of course pres. Reagan knew nothing about it and Oliver North was just being patriotic. Now good ole Olie is a commentator for Fox news - like I be posed to believe this drug trafficking felon.
By the way it is probably not the first time uncle Sam and government officials have been involved in dirty deals and have been in contact with shady characters. Wasn't it Bobby Kennedy who along with other cabinet officials during the Kennedy administration spoke to underworld Mafia bosses to discuss strategy on how to kill Pres. Fidel Castro?
Now honestly, do you expect me to have confidence in a govt. and a system whose leaders are not ashamed nor afraid of doing business and even seeking the aid of the Mafia? Do you expect me to believe what they say about Cuba, knowing this fully well and knowing the deep hatred and obsession the U.S. has for the island?
For those who would like more information on how the U.S. has treated our southern neighbors and how it has conspired against Latin American countries, throughout it's short history, I recommend a rather short book - but packed with a lot of info - ironically entitled "The Good Neighbor" written by George Black