Late 19th

century and

20th centuries

Snapshot

Latin America

& Mexico

(after

independence)

Political Continuities• Regional Conflicts

– Between Latin American states

• “Caudillos”

– Military leaders as political

leaders

Cultural & Social Continuities

• Roman Catholicism as a belief system

– Influences politics

• Importance of the family and strong

patriarchy

• Large gap between upper classes and lower

classes.

• Native beliefs and identity

Social Continuities• Class conflict among elites,

mestizos, natives, and former

slaves

Cultural and Social Changes

• Liberation Theology - Roman Catholic non-

violent activists working to end social

inequality and unjust treatment of the poor

• Protestant Evangelical Christianity has

grown.

• Globalization – had led to changes in culture,

gender roles, and youth

Economic Realities• Exports of raw materials and

agricultural products

became the base of

economies.

EXPORT BOOM (& bust)• Latin America was

dependent on Western

investment and

manufactured goods.

• Some Western companies

owned large portions of

Latin America’s economy.

• Only landowners and

some segments of middle

class urban dwellers

profited.

Change - Effects of the Great

Depression on Latin America

• Foreign

investments and

purchases declined

• Economy suffered

and weakened

political rule

Economic Changes

• Mining and early oil

industry began

• Extension of road,

rail, and canal

networks

Change-Effects of World Wars on Latin America

• Import substitution

industrialization – growth

in industry in Latin

America to manufacture

what had been imported

• Distrust of Western ideas

of government and

economy. Growth of . . .

– Socialism/communism

– Liberation theology

Economic Changes

• Drug trafficking had

both political and

economic effects in

regions of Latin

America.

Central America Drug

Trafficking routes

US involvement

Political Changes• Revolutionary groups have challenged political

power

– Socialist/Communist groups

– Native groups

– Terrorist Groups

• Laborers have supported changes in leadership.

• Mexican Revolution of the early 1900s led to

nationalization of resources and industry

• Cuban Revolution – Fidel Castro led communist

revolution in Cuba