▁and ▁economic ▁influence ▁across ▁Latin ▁America ▁and ▁with ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁war ▁the ▁U . S . ▁government ▁was ▁fear ful ▁that ▁national s ▁of ▁the ▁bell iger ent ▁countries ▁could ▁pose ▁a ▁threat . ▁Sub sequently ▁several ▁thousand ▁German , ▁Japanese ▁and ▁Italian ▁national s ▁were ▁arrested ▁by ▁Latin ▁American ▁govern ments ▁and ▁many ▁were ▁deport ed ▁to ▁intern ment ▁cam ps ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁for ▁the ▁duration ▁of ▁the ▁conflict . ▁A ▁minor ity ▁were ▁even ▁deport ed ▁to ▁Naz i ▁Germany . ▁Following ▁the ▁war ▁most ▁were ▁rep atri ated ▁to ▁their ▁home ▁countries . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁German ▁In flu ence ▁in ▁Latin ▁America ▁ ▁Germany ' s ▁invol vement ▁in ▁the ▁region ▁had ▁existed ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁W aves ▁of ▁German ▁imm igr ants ▁had ▁been ▁generally ▁wel com ed ▁into ▁the ▁region , ▁partially ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁popular ity ▁of ▁rac ist ▁ide ologies ▁among ▁Latin ▁America ' s ▁political ▁and ▁economic ▁el ites ▁who ▁often ▁believed ▁in ▁the ▁myth ▁of ▁the ▁Protest ant ▁work ▁eth ic ▁and ▁the ▁superior ity ▁of ▁Northern ▁European ▁Protest ants ▁imm igr ants ▁over ▁Southern ▁European ▁C athol ics . ▁The ▁Naz i ▁German ▁Government ▁primarily ▁viewed ▁Latin ▁America ▁as ▁a ▁source ▁of ▁raw ▁materials ▁and ▁attempted ▁to ▁deep en ▁commercial ▁relations ▁with ▁the ▁region ▁during ▁the ▁inter - war ▁period . ▁Germany ▁offered ▁military ▁training ▁and ▁sold ▁weapons ▁to ▁several ▁Latin ▁American ▁govern ments ▁and ▁several ▁Latin ▁American ▁govern