Description: "During the Cold War, U.S. intervention in Latin American politics, economics, and society grew in scope and complexity, with diplomatic legacies evident in today's hemispheric policies. Development became a key form of intervention as government officials and experts from the United States and Latin America believed that development could foster hemispheric solidarity and security. In parts of Latin America, its implementation was especially intricate because recipients of these programs were diverse Indigenous peoples with their own politics, economics, and cultures. Contrary to project planners' expectations, Indigenous beneficiaries were not passive recipients but actively engaged with development interventions and, in the process, redefined racialized ideas about Indigeneity. Sarah Foss illustrates how this process transpired in Cold War Guatemala, spanning democratic revolution, military coups, and genocidal civil war"--]cProvided by publisher.
Brief description: Sarah Foss is assistant professor of history at Oklahoma State University.
Review Quotes: "An extensively researched and thoughtful volume. . . . a necessary intervention in how we examine development, as it moves away from a focus on policy and toward how development was implemented, contested, and negotiated on the ground."--Hispanic American Historical Review