The United States has had a long and complex relationship with Latin America and the Caribbean over the past two centuries. This relationship has been marked by periods of prosperity, conflict, cooperation and intervention. The Monroe Doctrine is often seen as one of the defining moments in this history, but there have been other important policy initiatives since then. These include President Theodore Roosevelt’s “Big Stick” policy, which allowed for US military intervention in Latin America; President Woodrow Wilson’s Good Neighbor Policy which sought to promote better relations between the U.S. and its southern neighbors; President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Good Neighbor Policy which encouraged economic development through programs like the Export-Import Bank and Lend Lease Act; President Dwight Eisenhower’s Alliance for Progress which provided aid to countries in an effort to increase economic growth; and more recently, President Barack Obama’s engagement strategy that emphasizes diplomatic solutions rather than military intervention.

The Monroe Doctrine was announced by US president James Monroe in 1823 as part of his annual address to Congress outlining American foreign policy objectives. It declared that any future attempts at colonization or domination of Latin American territories by European powers would be viewed as hostile acts against the US government, prompting retaliation if necessary. This doctrine also established US dominance over foreign affairs in Latin America for decades thereafter, though it did not always produce desired outcomes for Washington or local populations alike (e.g., interventions such as those carried out during the Banana Wars).