In the United States, foreign policy is made by the president with input from Congress. Therefore, when studying US foreign policy, we often make reference to the policies established by specific presidential administrations.
In order to sped greater light on the history of US foreign policy towards Latin America and the Caribbean, El Hemisferio created the “Presidential Doctrine Collection”, hereafter “the Collection”. It was created to provide access to primary source documents related to US foreign policy towards Latin America and the Caribbean.
The Collection is broken down by presidency, region, and country. Each regional and country section begins with a brief description and synopsis. This includes references to documents that are not included in the collection. All sources referenced can either be found in the Collection or through the United State National Archives.
The Collection is not comprehensive. The documents provided here only reflect those documents digitally available. It does not include documents that have not been digitized or from other sources, such as FRUS.
The Collection is curated and does not include all references to the country in question. For most cases, documents were excluded due to lack of substance, e.g. a brief reference during a press conference and speech.
George Washington (1789-1797)
John Adams (1797-1801)
Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809)
James Madison (1809-1817)
James Monroe (1817-1825)
John Quincy Adams (1825-1829)
December 6, 1825: Message Regarding the Congress of American Nations
Andrew Jackson (1829-1837)
Martin Van Buren (1837-1841)
William Henry Harrison (1841)
John Tyler (1841-1845)
Mexico
December 18, 1844: Message Regarding US-Mexican Affairs
James Polk (1845-1849)
Mexico
March 24, 1846: Message Regarding Increase in Military Force
May 11, 1846: War Message to Congress
May 13, 1846: Announcement of War with Mexico
August 8, 1846: Message Regarding Settlement with Mexico
February 22, 1848: Message Regarding Treaty Of Guadelupe Hidalgo
July 4, 1848: Announcement of Peace Treaty with Mexico
July 6, 1848: Message Regarding the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
January 2, 1849: Message Regarding War-time Measures
February 8, 1849: Message Regarding the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
Zachary Taylor (1849-1850)
Millard Fillmore (1850-1853)
Franklin Pierce (1853-1857)
Mexico
February 10, 1854: Message to Senate on Treaty with Mexico
Central America
May 15, 1854: Message Regarding Transit Across Central America
James Buchanan (1857-1861)
Central America
February 18, 1859: Special Message Regarding Transit Across Central America
Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865)
Andrew Johnson (1865-1869)
Ulysses Grant (1869-1877)
Caribbean
Cuba
June 13, 1870: Message Regarding Insurrection in Cuba
Dominican Republic
May 31, 1870: Message Regarding Dominican Republic Annexation
Rutherford Hayes (1877-1881)
James Garfield (1881)
Chester Arthur (1881-1885)
Latin America
April 18, 1882: Message Regarding Congress of American Countries
Central America
December 10, 1884: Message Regarding Central American Canal
Grover Cleveland (1885-1889)
Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893)
Chile
January 28, 1892: Message Regarding US-Chilean Affairs
Grover Cleveland (1893-1897)
William McKinley (1897-1901)
Cuba
April 11, 1898: Message Regarding Cuban Civil War
Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909)
Central America
Panama
November 16, 1903: Message Regarding the Panamanian Revolution
December 7, 1903: Message Regarding Treaty with Panama
January 8, 1906: Message Regarding Panama Canal
December 17, 1906: Message Regarding Conditions in Panama
William Taft (1909-1913)
Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)
Mexico
April 20, 1914: Message Regarding Tampico Incident
Warren Harding (1921-1923)
Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929)
Herbert Hoover (1929-1933)
Franklin Roosevelt (1933-1945)
Harry Truman (1945-1953)
Dwight Eisenhower (1953-1961)
John Kennedy (1961-1963)
Cuba
October 22, 1962: Address on the Buildup of Arms in Cuba
Lyndon Johnson (1963-1969)
Richard Nixon (1969-1974)
Gerald Ford (1974-1977)
Jimmy Carter (1977-1981)
Central America
Panama
The Panama Canal and the Torrijos-Carter Treaties
September 7, 1977: Statement on the Panama Canal Treaty Signing
Ronald Reagan (1981-1989)
December 16, 1988: Speech on Foreign Policy
Central America
Nicaragua
March 4, 1987: Address to the Nation on Iran-Contra
Caribbean
British Virgin Islands
Cuba
September 22, 1981: Executive Order 12323 — Presidential Commission on Broadcasting to Cuba
January 21, 1982: Executive Order 12341 — Cuban and Haitian Entrants
Jamaica
US territories
January 12, 1982: Statement Reaffirming Support Of Statehood For Puerto Rico
North America
Mexico
June 8-9, 1981: Remarks during a Visit from President Jose Lopez Portillo of Mexico
April 27, 1983: Address on Central America
South America
Argentina
Crisis in the South Atlantic: The Reagan Administration and the Anglo-Argentine War of 1982
George H.W. Bush (1989-1993)
Central America
Panama
December 20, 1989: Address to the Nation on Panama
Bill Clinton (1993-2001)
Mexico
December 8, 1993: Remarks on the Signing of NAFTA
George W. Bush (2001-2009)
Latin America
March 1, 2001: Annual Presidential Determinations for Major Drug Producing and Transit Countries
April 17, 2001: Remarks by the President to the Organization of American States
May 7, 2001: Remarks by the President to the Council of the Americas
April 20-22, 2001: President Bush and the Summit of the Americas
November 2, 2001: Letter to Members of Congress Related to Drug-Producing, Drug-Transit Countries
Caribbean
Cuba
February 27, 2001: Continuation of the National Emergency Relating to Cuba
May 18, 2001: Remarks by the President in Recognition of Cuba Independence Day
July 13, 2001: Statement on Cuba
January 16-17, 2002: Title III of Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act
Central America
January 16, 2002: CAFTA Fact Sheet
El Salvador
March 2, 2001: Relief and Reconstruction Assistance for El Salvador
March 24, 2002: Presidents Bush, Salvadoran President Flores Joint Press Availability
North America
Canada
February 5, 2001: Remarks by the President and Canadian Prime Minister Chretien in Photo Opportunity
Mexico
February 16, 2001: Joint Statement and Remarks with President Fox of Mexico
September 5-6, 2001: State Visit by Mexican President Fox
October 4, 2001: President Fox Reaffirms Commitment to US
November 30, 2001: President Pleased with Mexican Trucking Compromise
March 22, 2002: Presidents Bush, Fox in Mexico, Joint Statement
South America
Argentina
April 19, 2001: Remarks by President Bush and President de La Rua of Argentina in Photo Opportunity
December 21, 2001: Joint Statement on Argentine Riots
Chile
April 16, 2001: Remarks by the President in Photo Opportunity with President Lagos of Chile
Colombia
February 27, 2001: Remarks by President Bush and President Pastrana of Colombia
Peru
March 23, 2002: Presidents Bush and Toledo in Peru
