The Wide-Reaching Threat of Communism
There was more to worry about than just the arms race with the Soviet Union. The threat of communism was an ever-growing danger. Kennedy was particularly afraid that communism would take root closer to home in Latin America, where Cuba's Fidel Castro encouraged liberation from U.S. influence. Khrushchev announced the Soviet Union's support of Cuba, and Kennedy set out to counteract the Soviet communist influence in the Western Hemisphere.
A Partnership with Latin America
To strengthen the relationship between the United States and Latin America, Kennedy announced the establishment of the Alliance for Progress. As its name indicated, it was a proposed relationship that promised collaboration on land reform, economic concerns, and social issues. Most importantly, Kennedy anticipated that it would discourage the spread of communism. This was clearly evident to some Latin American representatives, who referred to the alliance as the Fidel Castro Plan.
HE SAID…
“[O]n your willingness to contribute part of your life to this country, I think will depend on the answer whether a free society can compete. I think it can! And I think Americans are willing to contribute. But the effort must be far greater than we have ever made in the past.” — October 14, 1960, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Opposing the Soviet Presence in the Congo
Kennedy was also concerned with the situation in the Congo. The country had gained its independence from Belgium in 1960, but it was divided by internal conflict. The Soviet Union extended assistance to some of the players in the conflict. The United States, fearing that the Soviets would gain more ground in Africa if the Congo disintegrated, put its efforts into keeping the country whole. The United States backed the UN decision to send a peace-keeping mission to regulate the conflict, and this was the situation when Kennedy took office. Kennedy supported the UN's mission; in his mind, if the UN were not there, the United States would have to step in and this would mean a direct U.S.-Soviet confrontation.
Reexamining Laos
The civil war in Laos represented another potential area for a confrontation with the Soviet Union. Kennedy's main concern was the prospect of a communist takeover, which threatened to open the door for communist infiltration throughout Southeast Asia. In late March, Kennedy tentatively decided to help preserve Laos's independence. He ordered five hundred marines to the Thai-Lao border. However, nothing immediately came of this plan. Kennedy, as did the Soviets, wanted to remain out of the civil war. Instead, Kennedy directed his attention to a communist threat that was much closer to home.
