AHC: Get Latin America to NATO

With a POD of 1950, have NATO expand to include the majority, if not all, of Latin America, and a global western alliance is formed, and NATO's no longer the name.
 
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The problem is that it would compel the US to start wars to defend its Latin American allies. At the time the US did not really view Latin American states as equal allies, or even equal-ish allies like Western Europe, but rather as clients. For example, were Batista's Cuba part of such an alliance, the US would be compelled to declare war to overthrow Castro.
 
The problem is that it would compel the US to start wars to defend its Latin American allies. At the time the US did not really view Latin American states as equal allies, or even equal-ish allies like Western Europe, but rather as clients. For example, were Batista's Cuba part of such an alliance, the US would be compelled to declare war to overthrow Castro.
NATO was intended very specifically to co-ordinate a quick response to a Soviet invasion of Western Europe. If the Russians are storming through the Fulda Gap, what exactly can Brazil or Mexico do?
 
NATO was intended very specifically to co-ordinate a quick response to a Soviet invasion of Western Europe. If the Russians are storming through the Fulda Gap, what exactly can Brazil or Mexico do?
Brazil did send a rather sizable expeditionary force that fought in Europe, so I wouldn't say their commitment would be nonexistent. That said, other than Brazil and Mexico (and American-Mexican relations then were patchy at best), I don't see any real options that wouldn't threaten drawing NATO into a conflict in Latin America till after the Cold War is over.
 
Consider a scenario where there have been some communists insurgencies, nicely crushed.

Perhaps JFK orders the invasion of Cuba.

A very friendly and strongly anti-communists government around 1970 wants to highlight it's diplomatic status and petitions to join NATO.

As it is highly secure from conventional attack, European members are agreeable.


Equipment is mostly donated by US, manpower is of course Cuban, heavy training to bring up to NATO standards.

I could see other nations doing this for similar reasons, though not really beyond Central America.

Perhaps Jamaica working with the UK...
 
Brazil did send a rather sizable expeditionary force that fought in Europe, so I wouldn't say their commitment would be nonexistent. That said, other than Brazil and Mexico (and American-Mexican relations then were patchy at best), I don't see any real options that wouldn't threaten drawing NATO into a conflict in Latin America till after the Cold War is over.

Unless Brazil and Mexico have permanent military presence in West Germany ready to strike at hours' notice, it makes little difference if they're in or not. Better, from the PoV of both the US and the Latin American countries, to keep NATO separate.
 
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