Frequently U.S. policymakers portray the United States as a benevolent neighbor, seeking to help the countries in their "backyard". Many Latin Americans disagree with this view, and think more critically about the motivations and legacies of U.S. intervention in the Western Hemisphere. To understand these disagreements, this course applies theories of international relations to analyze pivotal events in the history of U.S. - Latin American relations from the time of independence to the present, including Spanish-American War, creation of Panama Canal, Cuban Missile Crisis, Iran Contra Affair, War Against Drugs, Washington Consensus.