"The American Imagination Shaping Perceptions, and Policies: Cold War Interventions in Cuba, the Congo, and Southern Africa"

• In Event: Global Cross Flows: Theory and History

Description for Program

The American imagination during the Cold War was profoundly shaped by the geopolitical tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union. This period was marked by a series of overt and covert activities that often had serious and deadly consequences for developing countries in the Americas, including Chile Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Grenada.

In this context, multinational corporations invested heavily in Latin America, Asia, and Africa, frequently with critical support from the CIA. The agency backed dictators and regimes that espoused anti-communist sentiments, prioritizing geopolitical interests over the aspirations of local populations. A prime example of this exploitation was the United Fruit Company, which owned or leased vast tracts of land across Honduras, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, Colombia, Cuba, Jamaica, and numerous other Central American, South American, and West Indian countries.

Similarly, in Africa, movements for independence were often curtailed or manipulated under the guise of promoting democracy and containing communism. Independence movements in Angola, the Congo, Namibia, and South Africa faced significant challenges, as foreign interests intervened in ways that undermined local aspirations. The Congo’s vast cobalt deposits attracted international attention, while Namibia’s and South Africa’s rich resources of gold and diamonds highlighted how economic interests frequently overshadowed the ideals of self-determination.

This paper examines three instances of American foreign policy actions—both covert and overt—in the contexts of the Congo, Cuba, and the southern African independence movements. It explores how these actions were shaped by and, in turn, influenced the American imagination, highlighting the complex interplay between perception and policy in these regions.

Author

• Umeme Sababu