It's a constant struggle for the countries of South and Central America to understand why they aren't a rich as the United States of America. With the world's strongest economic and military power floating above them, they never had much of a chance.
The dollar is the bolster of most Latin and South American countries and the entire continent is considered to be within the sphere of influence of the USA. So if anyone gets into power that the US doesn't like - Allende in Chile, the Sandanistas in Nicaragua or Fidel Castro in Cuba - they do all within their power to bring the government down and install one that will buy Nike trainers. Military invasions, diplomatic and economic pressure, or plain old selling cocaine to raise money to pay the rebels (Hi, Oliver North!), the US usually wins the day.
The Americas
Antigua Argentina Bahamas Barbados Belize Bolivia Brazil Canada Chile Colombia Costa Rica Cuba Dominican Republic Ecuador El Salvador French Guiana Grenada Guatemala Guyana Haiti Honduras Jamaica Mexico Nicaragua Panama Paraguay Peru St.Kits&Nevis St.Lucia St.Vincent&Grenadines Surinam Trinidad & Tobago Uruguay USA Venezuela
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