American attitudes toward Latin America can be summed up as an extension of broader global directives and the exclusion of foreign powers from the region . This was particularly highlighted during the Cold War, as American involvement was primarily in competition with the USSR. Latin America was therefore a mere pawn in the larger context of the US-Soviet competition for world domination. The actions and methods used are also characterized by the absence of international authority or an atmosphere of interstate anarchy, which has shaped their calculations aimed at increasing their influence over Latin America. When we analyze the situation, it seems entirely rational that the United States would treat its southern neighbors this way, due to their geographic proximity and their seemingly inexhaustible source of raw materials and labor. The history of U.S.-Latin America relations clearly demonstrates both historical and contemporary interference by the U.S. government for ideological, political, economic, and social reasons. Ideological differences took center stage during the Cold War, as the United States made concerted efforts not only to contain the spread of communism through containment, but also to support all those who opposed communism. Whatever rhetoric the United States adopts to justify its interference, the real reason remains the same. Similar to criticism of Russian involvement in neighboring European countries, the United States has pursued an almost identical policy, although much more clandestine and long-term. Interestingly enough, we see the United States supporting caudillo regimes that would be considered fascist by European standards. At the height of the Cold War, the proliferation of tyrannical "banana republics" eventually caused...... middle of paper... .. to withdraw from the treaty; Mexico ceased to be a signatory in September 2004. Works Cited1. http://www.oas.org/OASpage/press2002/en/press2001/sept01/09007.htm (11)2. http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/latin_america/newsid_2242000/2242240.stm (10)3. http://socialsciences.scielo.org/scielo.php?pid=S0717-14982006000100001&script=sci_arttext (7)4. http://www.americanforeignrelations.com/AD/Alliances-Coalitions-and-Ententes-The-american-alliance-system-an-unamerican-tradition.html (5)5. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8586560.stm (23)6. http://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1969-76ve10/d4 (22)Dominguez, Jorge (1999).7. “US-Latin American relations during the Cold War and its consequences” The United States and Latin America: the new agenda. Institute of Latin American Studies and David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies (21)