A declaration was made in 1938. It expressed the determination of
the American states (North, South and Central) to protect themselves
against foreign activities that might threaten them. This understanding
between the American continents was exemplified when a number of
the Latin-American countries declared war on the Axis powers, after
Japan attacked the U.S. in December 1941.
Intimate and neighborly association between the
U.S. and the Latin-American countries continued. It was expressed
in economic accords, providing for beneficial trade in raw materials,
in the providing of financial aid and technical skill, and in the
inter change of social and cultural interests and activities.
The solidarity of the Pan-American nations was
reaffirmed by the Western Hemisphere Defense Treaty, signed at Rio
De Janeiro, in 1947.
In recent years, the U.S. attempted to collaborate
in the economic development of the countries of Latin-America. The
Inter-American Development Bank was established in January
1960 with a capital of 1,000 million dollars, of which 450 million
dollars were subscribed by the U.S.
In March 1961, President Kennedy created
the Peace Corps on a temporary basis, through an executive
order. Many U.S. citizens volunteered to move to Latin American
countries in order to help in their development programs.
