Chapter 33 - Latin America: Revolution and Reaction Into the 21st Century

Chapter 33
Latin America: Revolution and Reaction Into the 21st Century

1. Introduction
   1. General Augusto Pinochet
      1. Former commander of Chilean army brought up on crimes against humanity
         1. Seized power from leftist Salvador Allende in 1973
         2. Brutal repression – thousands killed/tortured
         3. Fascistesque
      2. Symbolic of larger issue – what to do about L. American dictators
      3. L. American century battle between forces of revolution and reaction
   2. Latin America – a third world continent
      1. Shared traits of Africa/Asia, but…
      2. Western social/political structures
      3. Economic links to US and Europe
      4. Again focused on exports – vulnerable to world demand
         1. Political, cultural, economic dependency cycle continued
   3. Theme – Decolonization = economic freedom + cultural/political that matches L. America
      1. Becomes more industrial – leads to labor movement
      2. Growing urban middle class begins to play a role
   4. Latin American patterns
      1. Economic expansion – conservative reaction to maintain political power
      2. Economic crisis – chance to break patterns/expand social justice
   5. More continuities than changes
      1. Can’t replace old system w/ agreed upon new system
      2. But…better education, social services, treatment of women, industry
2. Latin America After World War II
   1. Introduction
      1. Brazil and Argentina ruled by reformers w/ populist agenda
      2. Even when Peron – Argentina – expelle
      3. power of mvmt still evident
         1. Military forced to repress to maintain control
         2. Military tried to gain prestige/nationalism in war for Falkland Islands
   2. Mexico and the PRI
      1. PRI – Party of the Institutionalized Revolution (huh?)
         1. Stability provided – controls politics – one-party system, but…
         2. Political corruption and failure to improve social
         3. Whatever happened to revolutionary ideals?
      2. 1994 Zapatistas revolt in Chiapas – frustrated
         1. Problem solved through repression/negotiation
      3. North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) – unclear if successful
         1. Attempt to improve political situation
         2. Trade increases, but…
         3. Middle class gets rich and large income gap between middle class and poor
      4. 2000 PRI finally defeated by Vicente Fox – PAN party
         1. Platform – end corruption, improve life for Mexican workers in US
3. Radical Options in the 1950s
   1. Introduction
      1. What are possible solutions to improve economic and social conditions?
         1. Mexico – one-party conservative rule
         2. Venezuela/Costa Rica – reform minded democracies
         3. Or…there’s always the Marxist option
      2. Radical solutions as possibility
         1. Continued problems that never improve
         2. Revolutions go too far left, bring back military into control
            1. Bolivia – link of miners, labor, peasants
   2. Guatemala: Reform and United States Intervention
      1. Predominately Indian nation – illiterate, poor health
      2. Land distributed unequally – surprise, surprise
      3. Reformer Juan Jose Arevalo tries reforms
         1. Income tax
         2. Land reform
         3. Intense nationalism
         4. Problem – policies conflict with desires of United Fruit Company
            1. Foreign owned company that has a lot to lose
      4. 1951 Colonel Jacobo Arbenz tries to go even further
         1. Tries to nationalize transportation, hydroelectric system
         2. Tries to appropriate unused land
            1. Oligarchy and United Fruit Company threatened
         3. US/CIA sponsored military force takes over gov’t
            1. Surprise, surprise, they help out oligarchy/United Fruit
            2. Help based on acceptance of Eastern European weapons
      5. From then on it only gets worse
         1. Violence and instability
         2. Military gov’ts don’t deal with problems
         3. Guerilla movement starts
      6. ***Key theme – Latin American won’t be allowed to changed w/out foreigners
   3. The Cuban Revolution: Socialism in the Caribbean
      1. Cuba differs from Guatemala
         1. Large Spanish and African slave descendant population
         2. Large middle class
         3. Relatively high literacy/health care
         4. Huge disparity between urban and rural
      2. Cuban policies strongly linked to US interests
         1. ¾ imports from US
         2. Economy fluctuates based on global demand for sugar
      3. 1934-1944 – Fulgencio Batista rules, 1952 on becomes dictator
         1. Promises major changes – nationalization of natural resources
         2. Marred by corruption
      4. Enter Fidel Castro
         1. Lawyer who launches revolution but is arrested
         2. Exiled to Mexico – taught guerilla tactics by Ernesto “Che” Guevara
         3. Both return to Cuba, gain support, take over isolated leader
         4. Turns Marxist-Leninist – planned or not?
            1. Foreign properties expropriated
            2. Lands collectivized
            3. Centalized socialist economy
            4. Breaks contact with US
            5. Gains Soviet Union as protector
         5. Survives in the 1960s w/ support of Soviets – or would have failed
            1. Sugar prices fluctuate, can’t afford oil
         6. Cuban model borrowed by other revolutionaries
            1. Che Guevera in Bolivia
            2. Only method of resisting US, Soviet help
4. The Search for Reform and the Military Option
   1. Introduction
      1. So…how do you reverse inequality and foreign domination?
         1. Mexico’s one party system – PRI
            1. But…poor planning, corruption, foreign debt crippled efforts
         2. Chile/Venezuela – church/clergy take position for human rights
            1. Liberation theology – social equality = personal salvation
            2. Leads to attacks against clergy/nuns who want social change
   2. Out of the Barracks: Soldiers Take Power
      1. Caudillo tradition, but…
      2. Now military thinks they’re above politicians
         1. Sacrifice democratic process for martial law
      3. Fear of Cuban success spreading
      4. 1964 - Brazilian military + middle class take over elected government
         1. With help from US
         2. Fear that they would actually implement social reforms
      5. 1966 – Argentina - Military intervenes over Peron
      6. 1973 – Chile – Military overthrows socialist gov’t Salvador Allende
         1. Nationalized industries/banks
         2. Workers/peasants take over land and factories
         3. Surprise…surprise…US helped with overthrow – see a pattern?
      7. Pattern of rule
         1. Dictatorship
         2. Political repression/torture to dissidents
         3. Laws limited political freedom
         4. Economic changes
            1. Income gap actually got worse
            2. Property issues don’t change
            3. Gains in literacy and health
            4. Industrialization possible
      8. Unique variations
         1. Argentiona - land reform and pushed nationalism to take Falkland Islands
         2. Chile/Uruguay – intensely anti-communistic
   3. The New Democratic Trends
      1. 1980s military gradually turns power back to civilians
         1. Fear of Cuba communism goes away
         2. Populist parties not so scary
         3. End of cold war – US hesitant to sponsor dictators
      2. But still huge problems for L. American governments
         1. Large foreign loans – some infrastructure, some stupid = huge debt
         2. International commerce in drugs
         3. High rates of inflation
   4. The United States and Latin America: Continuing Presence
      1. By end of WWI, US unquestioned leader in L. America
         1. Leading investors – 1/3 of all US foreign investments
      2. Military intervention to protect US owned properties/investments
         1. 30 military interventions before 1930
         2. United Fruit, other companies in Central America need protection
         3. Sometimes US contributed to assassination of leaders
      3. Leads to banana republics – puppet gov’ts controlled by US
      4. Brief change in 1930s w/ Good Neighbor Policy – Roosevelt
      5. But…communism/Cold War make it important again
         1. Support gov’ts that express anti-communistic dogma
      6. Belief that investment/economic improvement will prevent extremes
         1. Alliance for Progress – up to $10 billion for helping economics
      7. Increasing violence in 1980s, US supported conservative gov’ts
         1. 1989-1990 – invaded Panama, installed cooperative regime
5. Societies in Search of Change
   1. Introduction
      1. Great social change
         1. Social and gender change substantial
            1. Different degrees of Indian enfranchisement (voting/participation)
            2. But…reality vs. enumerate
            3. still discrimination
               1. Still exploitation of Indian population common
   2. Slow Change in Woman’s Roles
      1. Voting rights not expanded until 1940s
         1. Always concern they would lean too far conservative
         2. Religion influenced conservatism
         3. Women’s place in the home
         4. Change brought about through feminist organizations, foreign pressure
            1. Sometimes vote secured just to benefit party in power
         5. However, right to vote doesn’t mean high political participation
            1. Women did show some impact with labor unions
            2. Also important w/ small scale commerce
            3. But…by 1990s…female participation closer to West than rest of the world
               1. Intermediate position between industrialized and rest
               2. Health, education, place in the workforce
   3. The Movement of People
      1. Population has swelled due to high fertility, declining mortality
      2. Pre-1900, migration was to L. America
         1. 20th century migration goes away from L. America
            1. Job opportunities – demand for unskilled labor
               1. US/Mexico set up formalized labor trade in WWII
            2. Political freedom
               1. Willing to risk death in boats to immigrate
            3. Some migration legal, some illegal
         2. Migration also between nations
            1. Haiti > Dominican Republic
            2. Colombians > Venezuela
      3. Massive urbanization
         1. Most urbanized area of developing world
            1. Mexico City, Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires all 13 million +
         2. Rate too fast
            1. Jobs can’t keep up with pace
            2. Creation of shantytowns – favelas
         3. Workers unable to unite
            1. Rural laborers not brought into factory jobs
            2. Labor organizations linked to gov’t
   4. Cultural Reflections of Despair and Hope
      1. Catholicism determines family, gender relations, business, social interaction
      2. Popular culture combination of African and Indian traditions
         1. Sama, Salsa, Tango – L. American contributions
      3. Literary/artistic themes revealed conditions of the poor – social criticism
      4. Some authors resorted to “magical realism” – fantastic stories
6. Global Connections
   1. L. America still remained “unrevolutionary” – many things didn’t change, but…
      1. Mexican/Cuban Revolutions – huge impact
         1. To be mimicked or avoided
      2. Gov’ts try populist or militarist
   2. Levels of literacy improve
   3. Economies improve, but income gap widens
      1. Geography plays role – N. Mexico more opportunities than Southern
   4. Elements of identity copying the west - Culturally
      1. …or should they incorporate traditional
      2. New Protestantism
      3. Clash of conservatives vs. copying the West