What was an important military reason for building a canal across the Isthmus of Panama?

A. to establish a demilitarized zone between Columbia and Nicaragua

B. to give the U. S. a base for launching military strikes in Latin America

C. to block European countries from access to Latin American markets

D. to allow the U. S. Navy to move quickly between the Atlantic and Pacific

The correct answer is "B".

An important military reason for building a canal across the Isthmus of Panama was to give the United States a base for launching military strikes in Latin America.

Explanation:

The construction of the interoceanic canal was the center of Theodore Roosevelt's policy and the most relevant of its mandate in international affairs since the US began to consolidate itself as a hegemonic power in international politics.

The construction of the canal was a strategy for the imperial expansion of the United States.

This mega-work allowed to considerably increase the military presence in the Latin American region because it allowed the construction of military bases in South America. The United States of America came to have 14 military bases in Panama being the largest presence of troops on the continent outside its territory.

The right answer is D.