【3/13 今日美史】拉丁美洲版的“马歇尔计划”
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每天一篇“今日美史”，提炼和总结历史在今天发生的重要事件：谁，在哪里，什么时候，做了什么，这件事为什么重要，以及在写关于什么主题的论文的时候可以作为潜在的论据引用。
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为AP美国历史拿5分打下坚实基础
3/13
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The program came to be known as the Alliance for Progress and was designed to improve U.S. relations with Latin America.
When Kennedy became president in 1961, U.S. relations with Latin America were at an all-time low. The Latin American republics were disappointed with U.S. economic assistance after World War II. They argued that they had supported America during the war by increasing their production of vital raw materials and keeping their prices low. So when the U.S. began massive aid programs to Europe and Japan after the war, Latin American nations protested that they also deserved economic assistance.
More troubling to American officials was the threat of communism in Latin America. In 1954, the Central Intelligence Agency had funded and supplied a revolution that overthrew the leftist government of Guatemala. In 1959, Fidel Castro came to power in Cuba. In response to these developments, Kennedy plead to provide money, expertise, and technology to raise the standard of living for the people of Latin America, which would hopefully make the countries better able to resist communist influences.
In response to Kennedy’s plea, Congress voted for an initial grant of $500 million in May 1961. But the success of the program was marginal because American congressmen were reluctant to provide funds for land redistribution programs in Latin America, as they felt it smacked of socialism; Latin American elites directed most of the funds into pet projects that enriched themselves but did little to help the vast majority of their people.
Tags
President John F. Kennedy, Alliance for Progress