Introduction

The United States has traditionally sought to influence the course of political events in Latin America. US intervention was driven, at least in part, by commercial interests in Latin America. This was a period marked by the rapid expansion of American corporate investment in the region. Foreign assistance refers to the international provision of grants, credits, concessionary loans, or technical training ostensibly to promote social and economic progress overseas. Determining the central motivations for US assistance policy, and explaining policy changes, remains an ambitious agenda. US assistance programs were again restructured in the 1980s. The “Private Enterprise Initiative” included new programs to advance private-sector development and market reform in Latin America. During the 1960s, US assistance was channeled through the Alliance for Progress, an ambitious program of public spending to promote economic growth and raise living standards. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.