During the Cold War, the United States frequently intervened in Central American and Caribbean countries to suppress Communist or leftist movements.

READING THE MAP How many and which Latin American countries did the United States invade directly? What was the extent of indirect U.S. involvement in other upheavals in the region?

CONNECTIONS What role, if any, did geographic proximity play in U.S. policy toward the region? What was the significance of the Cuban missile crisis for U.S. foreign policy?