Final answer:
The U.S. intervened in Latin America due to the Roosevelt Corollary, combating perceived communism threats, and protecting U.S. financial interests, which sometimes resulted in economic upheaval and regional destabilization.
Step-by-step explanation:
The United States intervened in the affairs of Latin American countries throughout the 20th century for various reasons, including the containment of communism and the protection of American financial interests. The Roosevelt Corollary led to the establishment of protectorates and control over fiscal policies in countries like Cuba, Panama, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic. This policy often fueled resentment due to the perception of economic imperialism.
During the Cold War era, perceived threats of communism resulted in U.S. interventions that were harmful, such as in Guatemala, where America opposed land reform policies and misunderstood the nature of economic movements in Latin America as overtly communist. Intervention often led to direct military action, political influence, and support for certain governments, which destabilized regions and disrupted local economies.
Humanitarian aid was sometimes provided with the stipulation that countries should not align with communism, impacting the sovereignty of these nations and their policy decisions. Overall, the interventions were a mix of opposing oppressive regimes and protecting U.S. interests, often justified as defenses of democracy but seen by many as acts of imperialism.