The US and Neocolonialism

Neocolonialism can informally be described as false independence that the newly formed countries faced when their wars for independence were finally over. It represents the involvement of powerful countries in the affairs of developing world, which was often characterized as exploitation rather than helping those countries develop.

In the short history of Latin American countries, since their independence until now, USA Is known to have been behaving like a colonial power by exploiting their cheap labor and raw materials. Although USA was involved in many civil wars in Latin America, in a way that if the government wasn’t corrupted they would use military force to put their people at the highest positions in the country, neocolonialism represents nations being dominated by money rather than by guns.

The beginnings of US neocolonialism can be traced to the beginnings of 20^th century, starting with Cuba. After Cubans won their independence, the US invaded their territory and granted themselves the right to oversee political affairs of the country. Cubans managed to drive out the American forces, but they continued invading, and each time changing the president that would be the one they can control.

As for the Central America, this is the period of development of so called “Banana republics” , where private, foreign businesses continued to take advantage of the resources of post-colonial states.

The involvement of US in the affairs of Latin American countries can be associated with the conception of “white man’s burden”, belief of the white people that they are dominant over the black and Indians, and that their mission is to “rescue” them by being their leaders.

Ghanaian revolutionist Kwame Nkrumah, influenced by Marxist and Lenin’s thinking, defined neocolonialism as the last stage of imperialism.