Whether it is Hernán Cortés’ rapid conquest of the Aztecs, or the United States-backed military coup in Chile, foreign interference has had a significant, and almost constant, impact on Latin America. Throughout history, however, the manner of intervention has changed. During colonial times, the Spanish and Portuguese colonized Latin America and were responsible for establishing the region’s political and economic infrastructure. During contemporary times, foreign countries intervened subversively in Latin America’s economic and political affairs, pursuing their own business interests and toppling governments that did not abide by capitalist ideologies. In each case, however, Latin American countries have fought the intervention; upper …show more content…
In the aftermath of the wars, mining and agriculture continued to dominate most of the region’s economies (Skidmore and Smith, 2010). These same industries had previously linked Latin American and European trade interests; thus, when Latin American countries began to become autonomous, the relationship resumed. Latin America exported raw materials, such as wheat, tobacco, and coffee, and imported consumer goods (Skidmore and Smith, 2010). Such a free trade ideology meant that European produced goods—superior in quality and prices—quickly replaced those produced domestically. As a result, domestic industry in many Latin American countries was weak, stunting future economic growth and putting the health of their economies at the mercy of the international markets, a problem several Latin American countries continue to have following the Debt Crisis of …show more content…
In one particular scene, he encounters the Anaconda Mining Company, a United States mining enterprise in Chile. At the mine, Guevara is disgusted by how the company’s foreman treats its employees; in fact, he confronts the man and tells him that the workers look thirsty and should be given water. It is in this scene that Guevara begins to understand the oppression of United States’ interventionism, for the mines, according the Professor Stein, were Chile’s number one industry, and yet heavily controlled by the capitalist United States. (“U.S. Involvement in Chile: Clash over Values and Human
Models for post-revolutionary Latin American government are born of the complex economic and social realities of 17th and 18th century Europe. From the momentum of the Enlightenment came major political rebellions of the elite class against entrenched national monarchies and systems of power. Within this time period of elitist revolt and intensive political restructuring, the fundamental basis for both liberal and conservative ideology was driven deep into Latin American soil. However, as neither ideology sought to fulfill or even recognize the needs or rights of mestizo people under government rule, the initial liberal doctrine pervading Latin American nations perpetuated racism and economic exploitation, and paved the way for all-consuming, cultural wars in the centuries to come.
Burns, E. B., & Charlip, J. A. (2007). Latin America: an interpretive history (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall.
All in all, over the course of the presidencies of Monroe, Roosevelt, FDR, and Nixon, the U.S. intervened in Latin America numerous times. Now, is it the right thing to do? At those specific points in time, the government thought so. Various arguments can be forged over the suitability of the actions of the U.S. during these times; however, that is a discussion for another time.
Carrillo-Huerta, M., & Bonilla, I. M. (2005). The effect of NAFTA on mexican agricultural exports to the united states: The case of coffee beans, 1970-2003. The Journal of Entrepreneurial Finance & Business Ventures, 10(2), 76-93. Retrieved from http://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/55949/1/662664000.pdf
Harry E. Canden. , & Gary Prevost, (2012). Politics Latin America. (4th ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.
The historian Ronn Pineo wrote “Beginning in the 1980s nearly all of Latin America began to take part in a great experiment, the adoption of capitalist free market economic policies.” (1) This great experiment began with the promotion of democracy and free market that promised a better future for Latin America. Neoliberalism, the economic ideology that promotes free-market capitalism, laid the foundation for many of the US military interventions and economic policies that caused a dramatic transformation of Latin America. This promise of a “democratic” government came from a policy initiative labeled as polyarchy. Polyarchy is “ a system in which a small group governs and mass participation in decision making is limited to choosing leaders in elections that are carefully managed by competing elites” (Lecture: Polyarchy and Resistance). It, however, was a sales pitch to continue Latin America’s subordinate position in to the global market. As a result, much of Latin America, by the late 1980 through the early 1990s, transitioned into this form of “democracy”. Consequently, Latin America suffered and still suffers today from underdevelopment, high levels of socioeconomic inequality, and immigration. Globalization of capital, off-shore production, and new technologies have created structural barriers and have
The 19th Century in Latin America was rife with revolution and political change. Due to the instability of a continent, bursting with fledgling democracies (at least in name), a new breed of leader began to emerge throughout Latin America. This new head of government was defined as a strong military leader who ruled forcefully. In Latin America, thes...
Galeano, Eduardo. Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent. Translated by Cedric Belfrage. New York: Monthly Review Press, 1997.
Burns, E. B., & Charlip, J. A. (2007). Latin America: an interpretive history (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Mignolo, W. D. (2005). The Idea of Latin America (pp. 1-94). Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.
All throughout the 20th century we can observe the marked presence of totalitarian regimes and governments in Latin America. Countries like Cuba, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic all suffered under the merciless rule of dictators and military leaders. Yet the latter country, the Dominican Republic, experienced a unique variation of these popular dictatorships, one that in the eyes of the world of those times was great, but in the eyes of the Dominicans, was nothing short of deadly.
Immediately following the war with Spain, the United States had both the political will to pursue imperial policies and the geopolitical circumstances conducive to doing so. But the way in which these policies would manifest was an open question; was the impulse to actively remake the world in America’s Anglo-Saxon image justified? Hence, there were several models of American imperialism at the turn of the twentieth century. In the Philippines, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Samoa, the United States asserted unwavering political control. In Cuba, and later throughout most of the Caribbean basin, the economic and political domination of customarily sovereign governments became the policy. Ultimately, the United States was able to expand its territory
The Independence of Latin America was a process caused by years of injustices, discriminations, and abuse, from the Spanish Crown upon the inhabitants of Latin America. Since the beginning the Spanish Crown used the Americas as a way to gain riches and become greater in power internationally. Three of the distinct causes leading Latin America to seek independence from Spain, were that Spain was restricting Latin America from financial growth, (this included restrictions from the Spain on international trade, tax burden, and laws which only allowed the Americas to buy from Spain), The different social groups within Latin America, felt the pressure of the reforms being implicated on them by the Spanish Crown. They wanted freedom to decide how to run their home without the crown deciding for them what they should do. The Wars of Independence in Latin America, The Bourbon Reform, was one form of reforms pushed by the people of Latin America towards Independence. "The Bourbon bureaucracy engineered unprecedented campaigns to extirpate the vices of the People and to inculcate in them the new virtues of hard work, sobriety, and proper public propriety" (Voekl, 183). Spain used the Americas as a way to rise from economic low and to take their riches from them. "The role of America remained the same to consume Spanish exports, and to produce minerals and a few tropical products. In these terms comercio libre was bound to increase dependency, reverting to a primitive idea of colonies and a crude division of labour after a long period during which inertia and neglect had allowed a measure of more autonomous growth" "…With the result that Spain itself was seen as an obstacle to growth. ...
Scholars have debated not only the nature of Iberian colonialism, but also the impact that independence had on the people of Latin America. Historian Jaime E. Rodriguez said that, “The emancipation of [Latin America] did not merely consist of separation from the mother country, as in the case of the United States. It also destroyed a vast and responsive social, political, and economic system that functioned well despite many imperfections.” I believe that when independence emerged in Latin America, it was a positive force. However, as time progressed, it indeed does cause conflict.
The Latin American Debt crisis did not occur over night, the crisis was many years in the making and signs of its arrival were prominent in Latin American society. The reasons for its occurrence are also expansive; some fault can also be place in countries outside of Latin America. The growth rate in the real domestic product of many Latin American countries grew at a constantly high rate in the decade prior to the crisis in the 1980s, this growth led to an increase in foreign investment, corporate investment, and the world began supporting these developing nations (Ocampo). The foreign investments into Latin America created a new international financial system that gave the foreign banks access the funds to give massive loans to the developing nations of Latin America. However, the affluence was not continuous. A rise in natural resources occurred in the mid-1970s, which led to increase the prices of imported goods, and thus Latin American countries would have to find a way to pay back these deficits, which then led them to borrowing more money. By the end of the 1970s, Latin America was in debt to for over $150 billion, and the growth rates for each nations debt varied greatly with Mexico and Brazil taking on more than half of the debt themselves.