Kennedy's Alliance For Progress

Eco-Social Aim #1

Income Growth

• achieve a substantial and sustained annual growth of per capita income of no less than 2.5 percent in participating LA countires

  • intended to narrow the income gap between LA & industrialized nations

Eco-Social Aim #2

Equitable Distribution of Income

• program emphasized making benefits of economic progress available to all citizens and social groups

• more equitable distribution of national income

  • rapid raise in income and living standards of poorer population segments

Eco-Social Aim #3

Health & Education Improvements

• targeted significant improvements in public health and education

  • Eliminating adult illiteracy

  • increasing life expectancy at birth

Eco-Social Aim #4

Economic Diversification & Industrialization

• alliance sought to diversify national economic structures

  • reduced dependence on a limited of product exports and imported capital goods

• aimed to accelerate industrialization & increase overall economic productivity

Political/Social Aim #1

Promoting Democracy

• central aim to promote democratic governance and strengthen democratic institutions

  • emphasized that political freedom must accompany material progress

Political/Social Aim #2

US—Latin America during the 1960s

• designed to inhibit the rise of communist-leaning insurgents and prevent spread of communism

• mechanism to showcase the superiority of capitalist system

Measurable Achievements #1

Infrastructure Development

• program supported construction of housing, schools, airports, hospitals, and water-purification projects

Measurable Achievements #2

Education & Health Improvements

• literacy rates increased, and malnutrition decreased in some areas

Measurable Achievements #3

Economic Growth

• latin america’s economic growth averaged 2.6% anually through the 1960s

Impact #1

Resistance from Elites

• priviliged and entrenched political and economic minorities in Latin America resisted reforms —limited their own power & health:

  • Land redistribution

  • Equitable tax systems

• Latin America elites directed funds to projects that enriched themselves rather than helping the general populace

Impact #2

US Ambiguity & Priorities

• US acted ambiguously

  • called for democratic progress while also providing military assistance to friendly regimes to counter communism

  • prioritized the safety of their private investments over promoting social & political reform

Impact #3

Lack of Comprehensive Reforms

• no Latin American nation committed to a comprehensive development program — despite lots of funding

• meaningful economic and political reforms was an illusion

Impact #4

Deteriorating Cuba-US Relations

• escalating tensions between the US & Cuba — undermined US credibility and fueled skepticism

  • Bay of Pigs Invasion

  • 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis

• deterioration of relations by end of 1960s

Impact #5

Political Instability & Military Rule

• Alliance failed in its goal to spread democracy

• 13 governemtns in Latin America were replaced by miltiary rule

• Widespread corruption and political instability strained the effectiveness of the plan

Impact/Perspective #1

Insufficient Funding & Support

• Though intended to provide $20 billion, supporters argue that the Alliance’s failures stemmed from a lack of American support

• claimed Congress was reluctant to appropriate funds comparable to the Marshall plan in Europe

• perceived risk of Latin American countries aligning with the USSR made program unpopular by Americans

Orthodox View #1

• saw plan as necessary for a qualitative shift in U.S. policy toward Latin America

• believed it would promote economic development, democratic government & social injustice

Revisionist View #1

• seen as a means to free Latin America from US and European entrepreneurial exploitation

• Some viewed it as a controversial move to quell social upheavals

  • fear of communism was used to justify US imperialism and intervention

Revisionists View #2

• program was criticized”

  • organizational shortcomings

  • oversimplified assumptions about development

  • underestimation of Latin America’s developmental challenges

Revisionists #3

• Alliance’s goals were undermined by Kennedy adminstiration’s actions

  • e.g. thwarting democratic leaders while invervening internal politics to prevent the return of popular figures like Juan Bermejo in Guatemala