Like the rest of the world, the 30 countries and dependencies in Latin America and the Caribbean experienced social, economic, and political changes and challenges between 1945 and 1980 The geopolitical forces of the Cold War certainly affected Latin America and the Caribbean Political responses to these forces varied from country to country,
existed in U S -Latin American Cold War relations, those problems being the United States‘ predisposition to implement uncompromising policies towards revolutions and social movements in Latin America Castro‘s rise to power and turn to the Soviet Union forever altered U S -Latin American relations
Map 2 Cuba with respect to the Caribbean and the Americas xvi Figures Figure I 1 Billboard quoting José Martí: “Either Free Forever, or Forever Fighting to be Free” 2 Figure 1 1 Bust of Hatuey in the main plaza of Baracoa in eastern Cuba “Hatuey: The First Rebel of America Burned at the Stake in Yara, Baracoa ”