Did U. S. actions in the Spanish-American War promote or hinder the advancement of the ideals of opportunity and democracy?

US action during this war was said to promote the advancement of democracy and opportunity. The war redefined American national identity and it mark the entrance of the nation into the global stage. The nations that were said to be under the Spanish regime were liberated from the autocracies of the conquistadors and the corrupt Spanish government thus USA was seen as the champion or defender of democracy. Americans were hailed by the Cubans as liberators since they came to free the Cubans from the wrath of the Spaniards. It also gave the US an opportunity to unite the mindset of the people that have been damaged by the Civil War and thus paved way for the US to be the center of global and economic power.