Read below to learn more about Nicaragua during the Cold War

Like many Latin American countries, The United States has had a history of interfering in Nicaragua. Nicaragua was ruled by members of the Somoza family since the 1930s. The Somoza regime was corrupt and unpopular with many ordinary Nicaraguans. Opposition against the Somoza family reign increased in the 1970s, after aid that Nicaragua received following a massive 1972 earthquake was embezzled by the Somoza family. As a result, a rebel group called the Sandinistas began to gain popularity with many opponents of the Somoza government. The Sandinistas are also called the FSLN.  In 1979, Sandinista forces defeated the Somoza regime and took over the country. They were sympathetic to communism, and had the support of the Soviet Union.

In 1981, Ronald Reagan became President of the US. He tried to contain communism by supporting rebel groups that were fighting communist governments, both overtly and covertly. In Nicaragua, a rebel group called the Contras was an opposition party to the Sandinistas. The Contras were anti-communist, but had also been accused of human rights abuses. However, because the Sandinistas were pro-communism, the Reagan administration saw them as a threat.

Read below to learn more about Guatemala during the Cold War

After dictator Jorge Ubico was removed from office in 1944, a coalition led by Juan Jose Arevalo began a policy of widespread social and political reforms in Guatemala. It was during this period that Guatemala's Communist Party grew in popularity. Arevalo was succeeded in 1951 by Jacobo Arbenz Guzman, a popular politician. The United States feared Arbenz because he tried to institute land reforms that would redistribute land to poor farmers. They saw this attempt at land redistribution as evidence of his communist tendencies.

At the time, 2% of the population in Guatemala owned 72% of the land. Unfortunately for Arbenz, most of that land belonged to the largest landowner and most powerful business in Guatemala: the American owned United Fruit Company. Though Arbenz was willing to compensate United Fruit for some its land, the company tried to persuade President Dwight Eisenhower that Arbenz was a communist sympathizer that needed to be removed from power. President Eisenhower was a firm believer in the ‘domino theory’ and listened to United Fruit.

Read below to to learn about the Dominican Republic during the Cold War

Like many Latin American countries, the United States has had a history of meddling in the Dominican Republic since the early 20th century. The relationship between the two countries came to a head in the 1960s, during a turbulent period of the Cold War. Lyndon Johnson was President of the United States, and the relationship between the US and the Soviet Union was more tense than ever. He spoke publicly of friendship with Latin American countries, but he knew that a top priority of his presidency would be the aggressive containment of communism. A big part of his containment strategy would be the Dominican Republic.

The Dominican Republic was ruled by dictator Rafael Trujillo from 1930 until his assassination in 1961. Juan Bosch, a popular reformist candidate who vowed to weed out corruption and make the DR a better place for all its citizens, was elected President in the first democratic election in many years. But, the suspicion that he had left-leaning tendencies and the uneasiness he stirred up in business sectors started a military coup a few months later that installed Donald Reid Cabral as the President.

Bosch was still very popular, and many citizens were understandably angry that their elected President had been forced out of office. The situation erupted into violence in 1965 when a civil war between Bosch supporters and anti-Bosch forces broke out. The United States became very concerned that Juan Bosch, communist sympathizer could be placed back into power.

Read below to learn more about Chile during the Cold War

In 1970, Chile held a democratic election for President. Salvador Allende Gossens, who ran for President on a communist platform, emerged as the winner. Neither Richard Nixon, (the President of the UNited States at the time), nor US companies with businesses in Chile wanted to see an Allende presidency, fearing his communist sympathies. The United States wanted to prevent communism from spreading in South America. Allende began nationalizing Chile’s copper mines and other key industries. This concerned the US because they took it as a sure sign that Allende would make Chile a communist country.

It also concerned many of Chile’s elites who were concerned about what would happen to the economy, and their wealth, under a communist rule. Therefore, the military seized power in September 1973. During this time period, Allende died under mysterious circumstances...

Modern Propaganda / Fake News

Option 1: ICE News update

Topic: Immigrants

Story: Illegal immigrants started California Wildfires

Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1caNaT_VueTyWm6MHlyV5zZMGwqTqIOH6wabzy273TvI/edit?usp=sharing

Option 2: Article about Black Lives Matter Protest

Topic: Race

Story: Black Lives Matter 'Thugs' Blocked Emergency Crews from Reaching Hurricane Victims

Link: https://archive.is/VNWE2#selection-327.0-327.215

Option 3: Article About Birth Control as Murder

Topic: Dumb Republicans

Story: Paul Ryan: "Women Who Use Birth Control Are Committing Murder"

Link: https://archive.is/PyGIv