What is Pan-Americanism?
Pan-Americanism is the idea that the independent nations of North, Central and South America and the Caribbean share common interests and should cooperate through common institutions. Its supporters see the hemisphere as a region of republics that should settle disputes peacefully, expand trade and defend each other against outside threats. In practice, Pan-Americanism has been shaped by two traditions: a Latin American ideal of unity among the former Spanish colonies, and a United States-led movement for hemispheric commerce and security. The tension between these two traditions runs through its history.
Core beliefs
- The nations of the Americas share common interests and values.
- Disputes between American states should be settled by arbitration and diplomacy.
- Trade and economic ties across the hemisphere should be expanded.
- An attack on one American state concerns all of them.
- Shared institutions should promote democracy, law and cooperation.
- States should respect each other's sovereignty and avoid intervention.
History
Supporters often trace Pan-American ideas to Simón Bolívar, who convened the Congress of Panama in 1826 to unite the newly independent Spanish American republics. The modern movement began with United States Secretary of State James G. Blaine, who proposed an inter-American conference in 1881. The First International Conference of American States met in Washington in 1889 and 1890 and created the International Union of American Republics, which became the Pan-American Union in 1910. Further conferences dealt with arbitration, international law and, after 1936, hemispheric defense. In the 1930s, President Franklin Roosevelt's Good Neighbor Policy renounced the right of the United States to intervene in Latin American affairs. The Rio Treaty of 1947 set up a mutual defense pact, and in 1948 the Organization of American States was founded in Bogota.
Variants
Bolivarian Pan-Americanism, or Latin American unity, seeks cooperation among Latin American nations, sometimes without the United States. United States-led Pan-Americanism stresses trade, investment and security under United States leadership. Developmental Pan-Americanism, seen in Brazilian President Juscelino Kubitschek's Operation Pan America of 1958 and the later Alliance for Progress, focused on economic aid and development. Democratic Pan-Americanism emphasizes collective defense of democracy and human rights.
Criticisms
Many Latin American critics argue that Pan-Americanism has often masked United States dominance, pointing to the Monroe Doctrine, the Roosevelt Corollary of 1904 and later interventions. The Cuban writer José Martí warned in the 1880s and 1890s about United States ambitions in the region. Critics also note that the Organization of American States suspended Cuba in 1962 and was at times slow to respond to military coups. Others argue that differences in size and power make equal partnership difficult.
In practice
Pan-Americanism produced lasting institutions: the Organization of American States, the Pan American Health Organization, the Inter-American Development Bank and an inter-American human rights system. It also inspired projects such as the Pan-American Highway. Since the 2000s, some Latin American governments have backed rival regional groups that exclude the United States and Canada.