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The nicaraguan revolution summary
The nicaraguan revolution summary
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“The people of Nicaragua were suffering oppression. This made us develop an awareness which eventually led us to commit ourselves to the struggle against the domination of the capitalists of our country in collusion with the United States government.” (Daniel Ortega 1974) As has been discussed throughout the semester thus far many countries throughout Latin America have experienced a political revolution in some way, shape, or form. In the early 1970’s Nicaragua joined the long list of Latin American countries to experience a revolution when the Frente Sandinista de Liberacion Nacional (FSLN) lead by Daniel Ortega successfully overthrew the Somoza dynasty. Many people often times have a misconception of what exactly a political revolution is and as a result draw incorrect conclusions as to the effects that revolutions have on both politics and society. Nicaraguan politics provide a perfect example in regards to the effects that a revolution can have on a country. However, in order to fully understand the political and social effects of the Sandinista Revolution in Nicaragua two essential questions must be answered. First, what is the true definition of a revolution is in regards to Latin American politics? Secondly, what were the short and long-tem effects of the Sandinista Revolution on the Nicaraguan socio-political landscape? Although upon first glance the answers to these questions may seem relatively obvious the truth is that they are both very unique in regards to Nicaraguan politics. Once these questions have been answered it will become rather evident that the Sandinista Revolution has left a footprint on the socio-political landscape of Nicaragua that may never go away.
Political scholars have long had an enduring fasci...
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...ss frequently than the regional average of the other six Central American countries. In Nicaragua about 80 percent of urban dwellers are registered to vote compared to the 96 percent registration rate seen in Costa Rica, Honduras, and Panama. Moreover, Nicaragua also had a significantly lower percentage of total people to vote in political elections during the early 1990’s. According to the data presented 80.1 percent of Nicaragua’s population voted in the last election compared to 89.7 and 91.1 percent of neighboring countries Honduras and Costa Rica. These findings undoubtedly favor the distinctiveness hypothesis which asserts that the Sandinista revolution in Nicaragua revolution “left distinctive imprints on electoral participation, civil society engagement and social capital compared to neighboring countries where no revolution occurred.” (Richard 118)
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.
Vianica. History of the Sandinista Revolution: the union of a whole nation. January 2010. http://vianica.com/go/specials/15-sandinista-revolution-in-nicaragua.html (accessed November 2010).
During the second half of the twentieth century, when the Cold War was on its midst, the United States played an important role in world affairs. The increasing military power that the United States had during the Cold War, allowed it to influence the political decisions that many countries had during this time. The United States directly opposed the idea of communism, which the Soviet Union promoted. This conflict between this two great powers, lasted for five decades, and it tremendously affected the political ideologies of the world. Both countries tried to push their political and economic interest to as many nations as they could, especially those close to their borders. During this time, Guatemala was undergoing a social revolution with communist ideas. The revolution happened as a response to the social injustice committed by the United Fruit Company. The United Fruit Company started to lose land, due to a land reform passed b...
Under the Bush administration, Noreiga’s orders to organize drug trafficking and support the Nicaraguan Sandinista rebels ensured ...
Rondefeldt, David F. and Arroyo Center. The Zapatista “social netwar” in Mexico. Rand Corporation, 1998
Guatemala held democratic elections in 1944 and 1951, they resulted in leftist government groups holding power and rule of the country. Intervention from the United States and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) backed a more conservative military minded regime. A military coup took place in 1954 to over throw the elected government and install the rule of Carlos Castillo Armas. Carlos Armas was a military general before the coup and with the CIA orchestrated operation he was made President from July 8th 1954 until his assassination in 1957. Upon his assassination, similar militant minded presidents rose to power and continued to run the country. Due to the nature of military dictatorship, in 1960, social discontent began to give way to left wing militants made up of the Mayan indigenous people and rural peasantry. This is the match that lit Guatemala’s Civil War, street battles between the two groups tore the country and pressured the autocratic ruler General Miguel Ydigoras Fuentes to fight harder against the civilian insurrection. Similar to the government Abductions th...
Peeler, John A. Latin American Democracies. Chapel Hill, NC and London: The University of North Carolina Press, 1985. Print.
Among the many ways Americans can participate in politics, voting is considered one of the most common and important ways for Americans to get involved. The outcome of any election, especially at the national level, determines who will be making and enforcing the laws that all Americans must abide by. With this in mind one might assume that all Americans are active voters, but studies show the voter turnout is actually astonishingly low. With this unsettling trend it is important to know what statistics say about voter turnout as was as the four major factors that influence participation: Socioeconomic status, education, political environment, and state electoral laws, in order to help boost turnout in future elections.
During these times, the Latino community grew stronger and more diverse when different ethnic backgrounds migrated to the United States (predominantly New York City and Florida) such as Dominicans, Colombians, Cubans, and others who followed in those footsteps. The reader learns not only of the radical groups in the United States but the ones outside of it such as the groups in Cuba; Omega 7, Acción Cubana, and the Bloque Revolucionario. These groups were created to override the dictatorship that Castro implemented among the island. Throughout the 1970’s, the vast majority of the population in the United States was made u by the Latino community and soon their numbers made their votes principal towards the Anglo politicians. At the beginning of the Voting Rights Period, the United States saw that the Latino communities were no longer as involved in politics as it saw a decline of organizations. As time has repeated itself, the movements themselves reverted back to their primary goals which was political equality except this time around, it would be mixed together with both cultural pride and ethnic
The Mexican Revolution began November 20th, 1910. It is disputable that it extended up to two decades and seized more than 900,000 lives. This revolution, however, also ended dictatorship in Mexico and restored the rights of farm workers, or peons, and its citizens. Revolutions are often started because a large group of individuals want to see a change. These beings decided to be the change that they wanted to see and risked many things, including their lives. Francisco “Pancho” Villa and Emiliano Zapata are the main revolutionaries remembered. These figures of the revolution took on the responsibility that came with the title. Their main goal was to regain the rights the people deserved. The peons believed that they deserved the land that they labored on. These workers rose up in a vehement conflict against those opposing and oppressing them. The United States was also significantly affected by this war because anybody who did not want to fight left the country and migrated north. While the end of the revolution may be considered to be in the year of 1917 with the draft of a new constitution, the fighting did not culminate until the 1930’s.
...ist activism in Latin America. Blackwell encyclopedia of sociology. Retrieved May 20, 2011, from http://www.blackwellreference.com/public/tocnode?id=g9781405124331_yr2011_chunk_g978140512433112_ss1-38#citation
Christopher Schmidt-Nowara. "Politics and Ideas in Latin American Independence." Latin American Research Review 45, no. 2 (2010): 228-235. http://muse.jhu.edu/ (accessed November 14, 2012).
The history of political instability in Mexico and its need for revolution is very complex and dates back to the colonization of Mexico by the Spaniards in the 1500s. However, many aspects of the social situation of Mexico when the Revolution broke out can be attributed to the thirty-year dictatorship of President Porfrio Diaz, prior to 1911. The Revolution began in November of 1910 in an effort to overthrow the Diaz dictatorship. Under the Diaz presidency, a small minority of people, primarily relatives and friends, were in ...
McCuen, Gary E. The Nicaraguan Revolution. Hudson, Wisconsin: Gary E. McCuen Publications, Inc., 1986. Print. The.
Much G. L., 2004, Democratic Politics in Latin America: New Debates and Research Frontiers, Annual Reviews