Lessons from US-Latin America Policy for the Post-September 11th World - Essay Example

The concept of “internal enemy” was significantly applied during the Cold War period. The concept was applied in countries such as Guatemala, Chile, and El Salvador. In Guatemala, the concept was applied to overturn the regime that was seen as leaning towards communism. The concept was successful in the removal of Col. Jacobo Arbenz from power (Byrne 6). Moreover, the idea led to the training of people who could topple the regime. On the other hand, the concept was well applied in Chile. In Chile, the concept led to the destabilization of the Allende government which was successfully elected. The concept also led to the elimination of those people who were seen as being leftists. Most of the people were killed and detained in the country (Byrne 8). Additionally, in El Salvador, the concept provided a way in which to train police and military forces in the country to play a role in countering insurgency. The forces played a significant role in the killing of a large number of people in the 70s and the 1980s (Byrne 10). The political repression in these three countries targeted those who were seen as leftist or supporting communism. In addition, repression led to the elimination of those opposed to democratic ideas.

In conclusion, the United States contributed significantly to the destabilization of Latin America during the Cold War period. The destabilization continues to be experienced in the region until today. Read More