ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the manner in which the heads of governments in Latin American region respond to foreign intervention and the internal fallout that follows. For many Latin American presidents the ultimate test of their leadership capabilities is the manner in which they respond to outside intervention. Latin Americans abhor the reality of intervention and the susceptibility of their nations to outside interference. In dealing with intervention their skills can mean preserving a nation from external sources of pressure and influence that continue to be unwanted. The impact that foreign intervention can exert on domestic politics and development has forced many leaders in Latin America to conduct the affairs of government in ways that avoid the inevitable feedback from social groups and political adversaries upset with the course of foreign relations. In the process of resisting the threats from the United States, Cuba's Fidel Castro exposed the critical component of interventionism in Latin America.
