U.S. and Latin American Relations in 1960

Summary of Work

The photograph is depicting President Dwight D. Eisenhower at a parade in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in March of 1960. He is standing in a car waving at the crowd as men in suits and policemen walk beside him. Confetti is raining down around him and covers the road. It was a part of the U.S. News & World Report Magazine Photograph Collection.

Author

The photographer of this image was Marion S. Trikosko. Marion was an American photojournalist that was prominent during the ’50s to ’70s. He focused on the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement and worked for The New York Times and U.S. News & World Report. His most famous works are those of civil rights leaders, such as Malcolm X, and those of political figureheads, such as President Jimmy Carter. His perspective on the event in this photograph is quite unique. As an American, he was biased towards the United States’ view of Latin America and was subject to American propaganda of Latin America, communism, and American involvement in other countries. However, he was also incredibly involved in the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, so he might have understood the human rights struggles in Latin American and the inequalities that existed there. However, there is very little information on the true perspective and connection of Marion S. Trikosko and the event in this photograph.

Connection to History

During the Reaction period in Latin America, there were grave amounts of violence, political unrest, and social change. The United States was heavily involved in several Latin American countries through the “Alliance for Progress,” which acted similarly to the Marshall Plan in Europe, but was more focused on military action rather than social programs. However, for both Europe and Latin America, the United States had one goal: to stop the spread of communism and communist ideology. The US became stronger allies with Latin America during this time period and agreed to protect these countries from invaders if the military within those countries crushed revolutions and communist supporters. This resulted in millions of deaths, missing persons, and tortured persons in Latin America as the military sought to end any communist support. In 1960 Brazil, when this photograph was taken, a new president had just been elected and the United States put Brazil on “red” alert as they believed there was a high chance of communist involvement. President Eisenhower was likely in Brazil at this time to strengthen the United States’ involvement and “alliance” with the Brazilian military and to create a stronger American political presence in the country. The involvement and presence of the United States would continue to have incredibly negative and harmful effects on Brazil after 1960.

Works Cited

Trikosko, M. S., photographer. (1960) President Dwight D. Eisenhower standing in automobile, waving to crowds during a ticker tape parade during his visit to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Brazil Rio De Janeiro, 1960. March. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2012646631/.

Marion S. Trikosko. (n.d.). Retrieved April 13, 2021, from https://art.state.gov/personnel/marion_trikosko/

Chasteen, J. C. (2016). Reaction. In Born in blood and fire: A concise history of Latin America (pp. 297-327). New York: W.W. Norton & Company.