Between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the United States was heavily involved in a string of military interventions, occupations, and wars known as the Banana Wars across Central America and the Caribbean. These interventions were initiated to safeguard American investments and guarantee regional stability, and were motivated by economic motives, political power, and geopolitical reasons.
In the mid-1980s, the United States was embroiled in a complex political scandal known as the Iran-Contra Scandal. Despite a congressional ban, the Reagan administration attempted to fund anti-Sandinista rebels (Contras) in Nicaragua while also negotiating the release of American hostages held by Iranian-backed militants in Lebanon. Secret arms transactions to Iran were launched with the intention of funding the Contras’ anti-government insurgency.
