in the Latin American and Caribbean region during the Cold War. The US has longed viewed the regions as dominated by unstable political systems that could be easily influenced and taken over by Communism which could quickly spread throughout the region. Unstable governments that could become Communist and house Soviet nuclear weapons in the American hemisphere prompted the US to tighten its' gripe on the regions combating Socialist/Communist movements. The Cuban Case best exemplifies US fears of what could happen in Latin America and the Caribbean without careful control. In 1958, the US made it clear that it would no longer support the Batista totalitarian regime during the Cuban Revolution by putting a trade embargo on arms exports to Cuba . In January 1, 1959 Batista fled the country and Castro moved into Havana. In 1961 the relationship with Cuba and Castro changed forever when he announced he was Marxist/Leninist. The US cut off all formal relations with Cuba and supported the infamous "Bay of Pigs" invasion by Cuban refugees that failed miserably. In 1962, the US began initiatives to block Cuban relations with other American during the 8th OAS conference in Uruguay . In the ensuing years, many American states would take the lead of the US and break relations with Cuba. After the loss of Cuba, the US was less tolerant of revolutions and liberal minded political regimes in the region. In 1965, military officers of the Dominican Republic overthrew the government. In April 1965 the US sent thousands of troops in to put down the leftovers of the "communist and castroite" Trujillo military regime. The beginning of the sixties also marked a change in US policy towards the two regions. In 1961, the Kennedy administration announced the Alliance for Progress to support and strengthen capitalist ventures and development in the regions. The Alliance for Progress passed the US congress and was granted $500 million . The majority of the $500 mi...
