The United States of America is a country with more than two hundred years of independent life, of which more than half have been lived under the shadow of war. Whether for territorial defense or for national interests, the truth is that US policy is one of the most questioned in recent years given its interventionist nature. Currently, the North American country is considered the largest military power in the world, having a presence in more than 100 countries through the existence of more than 800 military bases. [1] The dilemma falls on whether the presence of US troops outside US territory is a violation of the sovereignty of the receiving countries or if it is a «mutual benefit» regarding security national of both.
The first extraterritorial base of the United States is located in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. It was created during the military occupation resulting from the Spanish-American War, which began in 1898. Years later, during the period between the wars, the development of the containment theory, formulated by Nicholas Spykman, laid the foundations for the extension of the US military. to different regions of the world. The objective of this was to stop the advance of Soviet influence through the military and political presence in different countries of the periphery.