Why were US businesses interested in Latin America?

" Were " ? Today businesses still are, vast amounts of un-inhabited land that they use for cattle grazing. Other trade opportunities and other agreements are also another reason for interest.

Panama, once a part of Columbia until it gained independence w/ U.S. help was the best spot for the Panama Canal. The Panama Canal was a waterway between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and was much faster for U.S. ships than to sail around the coast of South America.(Colombia is in Latin America)