And they also seek to influence the U.S. out of self-interest. That doesn’t make the U.S. a puppet state, nor are they puppet states.
Yes it does [1][2], the list is huge [3]. I don't know how you could possibly be this ignorant with the Internet existing.
1. https://github.com/binka/essays/blob/master/us_atrocities.md
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neocolonialism
3. https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/how-many-...
I’m sure Central and South America are glad to know now.