Diefenbaker, Latin America and the Caribbean: the Pursuit of Canadian Autonomy
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DIEFENBAKER, LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN: THE PURSUIT OF CANADIAN AUTONOMY A Thesis Submitted to the College of Graduate Studies and Research in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of History University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon By Jason Gregory Zorbas © Copyright Jason Gregory Zorbas, October 2009. All rights reserved. i PERMISSION TO USE In presenting this thesis/dissertation in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Postgraduate degree from the University of Saskatchewan, I agree that the Libraries of this University may make it freely available for inspection. I further agree that permission for copying of this thesis/dissertation in any manner, in whole or in part, for scholarly purposes may be granted by the professor or professors who supervised my thesis/dissertation work or, in their absence, by the Head of the Department or the Dean of the College in which my thesis work was done. It is understood that any copying or publication or use of this thesis/dissertation or parts thereof for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. It is also understood that due recognition shall be given to me and to the University of Saskatchewan in any scholarly use which may be made of any material in my thesis/dissertation. DISCLAIMER The [name of company/corporation/brand name and website] were exclusively created to meet the thesis and/or exhibition requirements for the degree of [title of degree] at the University of Saskatchewan. Reference in this thesis/dissertation to any specific commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the University of Saskatchewan. The views and opinions of the author expressed herein do not state or reflect those of the University of Saskatchewan, and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes. Requests for permission to copy or to make other uses of materials in this thesis/dissertation in whole or part should be addressed to: Head of the Department of History University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5A5 Canada OR Dean College of Graduate Studies and Research University of Saskatchewan 107 Administration Place Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5A2 Canada ii ABSTRACT John Diefenbaker’s Latin American policy was based on his vision of Canada’s national interest, which placed a strong emphasis on the achievement of greater autonomy in foreign policy for Canada vis-à-vis the US and the expansion of Canadian exports to the region. For Diefenbaker, an enhanced relationship with Latin America had the potential to lessen Canada’s dependency on the US, while giving Latin American countries an outlet for their trade, commercial and financial relations other than the US. This new approach implied that Canada would formulate and implement policy that focused more on Canadian political interests and goals. It was not a matter of charting a totally independent policy for Canada in Latin America –– true policy independence was impossible to achieve. Nor was it the case that Canada would necessarily set itself in opposition to the US when it disagreed with its policies. For Diefenbaker the goal was to pursue a foreign policy that was aligned with, but not subservient to, the US. Ultimately, Diefenbaker’s policies towards countries such as Cuba, Mexico, the Federation of the West Indies, Argentina and Brazil were somewhat successful in expanding Canadian trade and commercial activity beyond the United States, and in establishing a stronger political relationship between Canada and the Latin American region. The policies were remarkably consistent, reflecting Diefenbaker’s desire to increase Canada’s autonomy, and differentiated by his personal involvement in initiating policy at the Cabinet level and in building and cultivating relationships with Latin American leaders; the goal was to further Canadian economic and political interests in the region. Though there were possibilities for greater expansion and connections with Latin America that were missed, Diefenbaker’s Latin American policy would be built upon and continued by successive Liberal and Conservative governments once he left office. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank the following people and organizations for their assistance in the completion of this dissertation. First, I would like to thank the Department of History, the Department of Graduate Studies, the Messer Fund and the President’s Fund for their financial assistance. Second, I would like to thank the staff of the National Archives Board of Canada and the staff of the Vancouver City Archives for their research assistance. I also spent many months in the Diefenbaker Centre and its staff deserves praise for both their service and cordiality. Third, I would like to thank the staff of the Department of History, Ingrid McGregor, Linda Dietz, Carolyn Schmidt and Nadine Penner. Fourth, I would like to thank the members of my committee, Dr. Martha Smith- Norris, Dr. Bill Waiser and Dr. Don Story as well as my external examiner, Dr. Patrick Kyba. Their comments, assistance and critiques greatly improved the dissertation. Don in particular spent a great deal of time and effort helping to refine and improve the dissertation. I would also like to thank my supervisors, Dr. Janice MacKinnon, Dr. Jim Handy and Dr. Dave De Brou. Janice became my co-supervisor midway through my program and was instrumental in its completion. Jim was my co-supervisor throughout the entire process and I would not have finished without his help. Tragically, Dave passed away in 2004. He was a source of constant support for me through some difficult periods during the first few years of my program and helped me to get my first teaching contract. This dissertation is dedicated to his memory. Finally, I would like to thank my family. To my parents and brothers, who supported me from the first letter of acceptance to the dissertation’s defense, I can only say that you may not choose your family but I was blessed to have you. To my children, Kyra and Gregory, your smiles and laughter always brightened my day and helped to keep me going when I thought it would be far easier to quit. To my wife and the love of my life, Eleni, this was something we finished together. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS PERMISSION TO USE……..………..................................................................................i ABSTRACT...………………………………………………..........……………………...ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………………………………...….…iii TABLE OF CONTENTS…………………………………………………………...…….iv INTRODUCTION..………………………………………………………………...……..1 CHAPTER 1: THE FORMATIVE YEARS...……………………………………...……25 CHAPTER 2: A GROWING AWARENESS…………………………………………....47 CHAPTER 3: DIEFENBAKER AND THE FEDERATION OF THE WEST INDIES...77 CHAPTER 4: DIEFENBAKER AND MEXICO.…………………………………….....98 CHAPTER 5: DIEFENBAKER AND THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES ……………………………………………………………….……...………..120 CHAPTER 6: DIEFENBAKER AND BRAZIL AND ARGENTINA…………..…….143 CHAPTER 7: DIEFENBAKER AND THE CUBAN REVOLUTION...….…………..166 CHAPTER 8: DIEFENBAKER AND THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS…………...…185 CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………………202 BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………………………207 1 INTRODUCTION A Populist in Foreign Affairs, Rogue Tory and Renegade in Power are but a few of the titles of books that purport to examine the life and career of John G. Diefenbaker, the thirteenth Prime Minister of Canada.1 The inference in the titles is that this was a man who refused to follow convention and was not afraid to move in radically new policy directions –– a rogue, a renegade, a populist. Diefenbaker’s policy towards Latin America, while a subject given little attention by historians and writers, provides a useful example of Diefenbaker’s embrace of the idea of Canada pursuing new directions in international affairs. When it came to foreign affairs, Diefenbaker consistently applied the same criterion to his policy deliberations. He asked himself whether a particular policy was in Canada’s national interest. The term “national interest” is a contested one but for the purposes of this study Steven Kendall Holloway’s interpretation of the term will be used.2 Holloway argues that there are five general principles that govern a state’s national interest. A state seeks to survive and be secure from attack; be as autonomous as possible; maintain its domestic unity or cohesion; be as economically prosperous as possible; and have principled self-justification and prestige in the international system.3 Each leader places different emphasis on the five principles and for Diefenbaker, the primary principle was the promotion of Canadian autonomy. 1 H. Basil Robinson, Diefenbaker’s World: A Populist in Foreign Affairs (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1989); Denis Smith, Rogue Tory: The Life and Legend of John G. Diefenbaker. (Toronto: Macfarlane, Walter and Ross, 1995); Peter C. Newman, Renegade in Power: The Diefenbaker Years (Toronto: MacClelland and Stewart, 1963). 2 See Steven Kendall Holloway, Canadian Foreign Policy: Defining the National Interest. (Peterborough: Broadview Press, 2006). Note that it is Holloway’s theoretical framework of the National Interest Perspective which is being used and not his interpretation of Diefenbaker’s record. 3 Ibid., 14. 2 For Diefenbaker, autonomy meant freedom of choice. It did not mean that he wanted to pursue neutrality or a position of non-alignment; Canada