Encuentro Latinoamericano | ISSN 2414-6625 Vol. 3 No.1 (July 2016) The influence of American Exceptionalism on Latin American foreign affairs: a case study of Guantánamo Bay, Cuba Inês Daniela Pereira da Costa Inês Costa, 31, holds an undergraduate diploma in Physical Anthropology and a Master’s Degree in Human Evolution and Biology, from the Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra. In 2010, a change in field of study led to a Bachelor’s Degree in Modern Languages, with emphasis in English and Spanish. Inês Costa is currently in her second year of the PhD in American Studies at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Coimbra, Portugal. Her interests in the field are related to American Exceptionalism, militarism, immigration and human rights violations. Contact:
[email protected]. Abstract Since the inception of the United States, American Exceptionalism has played a decisive role in the mediation of relations both in the domestic and foreign spheres. This influential identity character is founded on the beliefs of American uniqueness and the sanctity of their mission, but has, nevertheless, acquired the status of a prevalent paradigm. It is, thus, a malleable state created fantasy capable of creating consensus among the American population, while also offering effective instruments of disavowal capable of exonerating significant state incongruences. Throughout the twentieth century American Exceptionalism has served as a powerful hegemonic discursive instrument, justifying countless interventions in Latin American foreign and domestic affairs. Cuba and Guantánamo Bay Naval Base provide a clear example of this course of action. The recent usage of this base on the War on Terror establishes that, despite recent criticism, U.S.