On March 13, 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced the Alliance for Progress to provide economic and social aid to Latin America. When John F. Kennedy first took office in January 1961, relations between the US and Latin America were at a record low. At the time, the republics in Latin America were unsatisfied with the assistance they received after World War II. They felt that because they had increased their production during the war and kept prices low, they should receive economic assistance similar to that being given in Europe and Japan. In addition to these tensions, the rise of communism was a growing threat.