Latin America: Revolution and Reaction Into the 21st Century

Stearns Ch. 32

What is Revolution?

• Political revolution?• Economic revolution?• Social revolution?• Cultural revolution

Dance Dance Revolution?

What is Reaction?

• Beyond Conservative

• Not always led by fuddy-duddies

• Rarely liberal

Any Patterns? Anyone?

Latin American Issues

• Revolution or Reaction?– Social justice– Cultural autonomy/Decolonization– Economic security– Urbanization– Emigration– Marxism– A Cold War battlefield

After WWII

• Latin America not heavily involved.

• Brazil and steel exports

• Authoritarian regimes of the depression persist

Brazil

• Steel exports after WWII compete with U.S.

• Vargas returns to power in 1950

• “Populist nationalism”

E.G. Argentina

• Juan Peron: populist socialism+political repression

• Military overthrows Peron, 1955• Peronism still popular• Repression of opposition• Attempt to evoke nationalism fails (Falklands)

Mexico and the PRI• Partido Revolucionario Institucional\

– One party system in Mexico– Stability, sorta– Corruption– Lack of any real revolutionary zeal

• 1994, Zapatistas revolt in Chiapas– Indian Mexicans; extreme poverty– Repression, then negotiation

• NAFTA: North American Free Trade Agreement– Trade increases– Growth of middle class– Poverty still and issue for lower class

• 2000, PRI loses an election!– Vincente Fox, PAN Party

• Promises to end corruption• Support Mexican workers in US

Options

• Mexico– One party rule, no opposition puts a drag on social

and economic reforms

• Venezuela/Costa Rica– Reform-minded democracies

• Cuba– Marxist-Leninist revolution

Why Marxist-Leninism?

• Many big problems don’t seem to improve– Poverty and inequality

• e.g. Bolivia, 1950: 90% of land owned by 6% of pop.

– U.S. “imperialism”

• Soviets vying for influence– Makes revolution more dangerous b/c of Cold War

• Frustration and feeling that only violent change will yield results

But Reaction

• Bolivia– Revolution in 1952– Start of land and wealth redistribution– Military coup (reaction)• Too much reform threatens order and the powers that

be

Guatemala

• Few Creoles and Mestizos—mostly Indians• Poverty, illiteracy, poor health• Enter reform-minded Juan Jose Arevalo– Income tax (progressive—against inequality)– Land reform– Emphasis on nationalism– A thorn in the United Fruit Company’s side• American investors stand to lose much

Guatemala cont.

• 1951, Colonel Jacobo Arbenz– Promotes nationalization of transportation and

hydroelectric system– Promotes appropriation of unused land• Threatens United Fruit Company

– Accepts arms from Eastern Bloc.. Uh-oh– Enter the CIA• Supports coup d’etat (reaction)

Cuba: A different story

• Large Spanish and African population

• Large middle class

• High literacy rates (by Latin American standards)

• But a vast difference between urban Cubans and rural Cubans

Cuba cont.

• Strong economic ties to U.S.– ¾ imports from U.S.– Massive investments from U.S.– Important source of sugar to U.S. and world

markets– Super close to U.S.– The Godfather II has scenes in Cuba!

Cuban politics

• Fulgencio Batista (1934-1944; 1952-1959)– Originally an authoritarian reformer• Democratic constitution, 1940• Promised nationalization of natural resources• Promised full employment and land reform

– But…corruption– And finally just plain dictatorship

Fidel Castro

• Leftist lawyer (educated, Creole)• Failed revolt in 1953; exiled to Mexico• Teams up with Ernesto “Che” Guevara• Invade Cuba in 1956– Take to mountains– Guerrilla war– Gather more and more support

Cuban Marxist-Leninism

• Castro turns Marxist-Leninist– Che’s influence– Seize all foreign owned property (mostly U.S.)– Collectivize farms– Central economy (Planned economy—Soviet style)– Breaks ties with U.S.– Buddies with U.S.S.R.

U.S.-Castro Relations

• Bay of Pigs• Missile Crisis• Embargo

• Cuba survives only because of Soviet help

Reform and the Military Option

• How to reverse inequality and imperialism?– One party system?– Liberation theology?• Chile/Venezuela: Clergy campaigns for human rights• Leads to attacks against clergy.

– Marxist-Leninism?

Caudillo Tradition

• Strongmen take power• Democratic process loses to military control• Fear of Cuban-style revolution• Support from the CIA

Brazil

• 1964 Military coup– Supported by the middle class– Supported by the CIA

• Fear that elected leadership will actually implement quasi-socialist reforms.

Argentina

• 1966 Military coup against Peronist regime

• A new fascist-Catholic-anticommunist regime– Openly supported by the United States and western

Europe.

• Regime struggles because Peron was still popular. – Pushes nationalism; leads to disastrous war with

Great Britain over the Falkland Islands.

Chile

• 1973, military coup– Generalissimo Augosto Pinochet against socialist

president Salvador Allende– Intensely anticommunist.

• Allende had– Nationalized industries and banks– Given land peasants and factory control to workers– Basically made the military and U.S. think he was about

to go all Cuba on things.

Patterns to Military Rule

• Dictatorship– Overthrow elected governments– Either hold no elections or rig elections– Political repression; little political freedom– Dissidents imprisoned, tortured, and/or executed

• Economic changes– Income gap expands– Property issues unresolved– Improvements in education and health– Industrialization begins

Democracy Slowly Resumes

• By 1980s, less fear of Cuba/Communism

• Populist parties less frightening

• U.S. less willing to sponsor cold-blooded dictators

Remaining Problems

• Huge foreign debts– Loans for infrastructure– Wasteful spending

• The Drug War– Violence– Destruction– Poverty– Corruption

• High inflation (check out Argentina!)

The United States and Latin America Since WWI

• The US clearly the dominant force– 1/3 of all foreign investment is from U.S.

• Military intervention to protect U.S. owned properties and investments– 30 total before 1930– Support for United Fruit Company and others– CIA sponsors several assassinations and coups– Leads to formation of “Banana Republics” (puppet governments controlled by the

US)

• Good Neighbor Policy of 1930s (brief change)– Ruined by the Cold War– Ruined by Drug War

• Alliance for Progress (something like a Latin American Marshall Plan)

Women’s Rights in Latin America• Voting rights wait until 1940s

– Pressure from feminist organizations and foreign governments– Doesn’t mean high level of participation

• Patriarchal Catholicism emphasizes conservatism• Traditional belief of a woman in the home• Important with labor unions• Rising importance in small scale commerce

• By 1990s, not equal to feminist gains in the industrialized world, but better than the rest of the world.

Migrations in Latin America

• Higher fertility and declining mortality=population increase.

• Pre-1900 saw immigration TO Latin America; 20th century saw emigration FROM Latin America– Job opportunities

• U.S. needs unskilled labor• Limited land reforms leave many Latinos without other opptions

– Political freedom (e.g. rafts from Cuba)– Mixed legal and illegal– Inter-Latin American migrations

• Haitians to the Dominican Republic• Columbians to Venezuela

Urbanization in Latin America

• Huge cities– Mexico City– Sao Paulo All 13 million +– Buenos Aires

• Population rises faster than job growth– Rise of slums/shantytowns/favelas

• Labor issues– Rural laborers can’t get factory jobs– Labor organizations tied to the government

Searching for a Cultural Identity• Latin Americans want to be more than ex-Spanish colonies

– Explore Native American heritage– Explore African heritage

• Catholicism still a huge influence– Family– Gender relations– Business and social interaction

• Contributions– Music and dance

• Salsa, Samba, Tango– Literary and artistic themes

• The plight of the poor/social criticism (perhaps influenced by Catholicism?)– “Magical realism” (fantastical stories)

Global Connections• Latin America experienced many revolutions but remained, in most cases,

unrevolutionary.– Mexican and Cuban revolutions were huge…

• But most avoided them…• Or those that mimicked them experienced a reactionary coup.

– Governments based on populism but led by military men (who, in their hearts, are usually either conservative or reactionary)

– Literacy rates improve—but that’s in line with the times.– Economies grow over time, but so does economic inequality.

• Geography plays a role in this: Northern Mexico is more prosperous than Southern Mexico.• Politics plays a role in this: Cuba, a communist regime, has had a failure of an economy for

decades—and has faced new troubles since the fall of the Soviet Union (no more aid!); add to that the USA’s embargo…

– Cultural battle still unresolved• Copy the West (new protestantism, etc.)…• Or go to more traditional roots…• Or try something new…