ABSTRACT
From FY1962 to FY1969 (July 1, 1961 to June 30, 1969), Colombia received $761.9 million in U.S. economic aid. (see Table 7.1) This made the country the second highest aid recipient in Latin America during the period. Unlike Chile, Brazil, and the Dominican Republic, where U.S. aid peaked in the mid-1960s, aid to Colombia was more consistent. In seven out of the eight years between FY1964 and FY1971, Colombia received at least $100 million.1 Explaining aid to Colombia is substantially more complex than explaining it in other counties. In Brazil, Chile, and the Dominican Republic, there were a series of episodes that pushed the United States’ hand; this was not the case in Colombia. Relative stability, a sense that U.S. aid could really make a difference in promoting economic development, and extremely close ties between the two governments were all key reasons that Colombia became, and remained, a U.S. priority. There was never a fear that Communists or Communist-friendly leaders might gain power, yet Colombia became central to the Alliance for Progress anyway.
