Overview

This volume is part of a Foreign Relations subseries that documents the most important issues in the foreign policy of Presidents Richard M. Nixon and Gerald R. Ford. The volume on American Republics is divided into two parts: Part Two documents U.S. relations with South America between 1973 and 1976. U.S. relations with Chile through mid-September 1973 are covered in Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, Volume XXI, Chile, 1969–1973, and U.S. relations with Panama are covered in Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, Volume XXII, Panama, 1973–1976. The eight compilations herein illustrate both the formulation of a new U.S. policy toward the region as a whole: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile (beginning in late September 1973), Colombia, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

U.S. policy toward Latin America during this period centered on establishing what Henry A. Kissinger called a “New Dialogue” with the region. Launched in October 1973, just days after Kissinger took office as Secretary of State, the “New Dialogue” was envisioned as a constructive way for the United States to meet the challenge posed by the perceived emergence of a Latin American regional bloc. The initiative called for regular meetings of foreign ministers to address issues of mutual concern and aimed to restore a sense that a special relationship existed among the United States and its neighbors to the south. By 1976, however, U.S. officials had largely abandoned the idea of pursuing a unified regional policy, as called for by the “New Dialogue.” Instead, recognizing that Latin America was not a monolithic bloc, the Ford administration focused more on bilateral relations with the nations of the hemisphere. As this volume documents, increasing congressional and public concern over human rights issues affected the making of U.S. policy toward much of Latin America during the mid-1970s. These concerns focused to a large extent on Chile and Argentina, where military regimes aimed to stamp out what they saw as Communist-inspired efforts at subversion. Finally, several compilations (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay) include documentation on Operation Condor.