Military Regimes

of Central and South America

1. How many military coups were there in The Americas between 1960 and 1963?

10 Military Coups

2. Originally, what was the purpose of a coup?

To remove corrupt civilian politiciansor to restore order

3. How did that change after Fidel Castro's coup in Cuba?

The coup was to prevent Cuban-style revolutionsand remove any communist sympathizers or insurgents

4. Give 5 tactics military coups used to pacify the public and stop insurgents?

Incarcerate, torture and assassinate insurgents

Eliminated safe havens in civilian landscape

Reduce legal and civil rights of public

Suspension of democracy Control the media Outlaw unions

5. Which army hunted down Che Guevara? When did they find and execute him?

Tracked down in 1967 by a special forcesunit of The Bolivian Army

6. While the Guerilla groups who fought the army were completely disorganized, who did the military think was behind the organization of these fractured groups?

Moscow

7. Why did they think this?

They believed Moscow wanted locations close to USA in order to place nuclear warheads within striking distance.

8. Why did all the Latin American military regimes act and look similar?

Senior officers, generals and colonels all attended the same Inter-American Military system colleges.

Taught the belief that “civilian governments cannot control revolutionary threats.”

9. How many regimes were in power in 1960?

10 Military Regimes

10. In many cases, what form of government eventually developed because of these regimes?

Dictatorships

11. What did the military governments do to attract foreign investment?

Lowered wages and outlawed unions

12. Who supported these regimes to avoid more Castro-Cuban style communist governments?

The United States of America

13. What did they do to support these military governments?

American Presidential support

Provide military supplies

Gave counterinsurgency training

Military Government in Brazil

1. Why did the middle and upper class not approve of Goulart?

He initiated reforms to redistribute wealth

2. How many presidents did the Military install after the Coup of Goulart?

5 Presidents over 20 years

3. What term did Marshal Castelo Branco use to explain the corruption during his rule?

“Manipulated Democracy”

4. Provide 4 anti-democratic tactics instigated by the Military in Brazil through 1967.

Ended election of state government and city mayors

Dissolved Congress Suspended “Habeas

Corpus” Tightened censorship Ended civil rights Started Violent

Oppression

5. In 1969, who was put in power and what was the governments opposition required to do in order to remain safe?

General Emilia Medici The opposition went undergroundand began urban guerilla warfare.

6. What did the government do in turn?

Attacked insurgents, their family and friends Allowed private death squads to operate

Brazil’s Economic Recovery

1. How much did Brazil's GDP increase in 1967 and over the next 5 years?

10 % Growth

2. What were the consequences of this increase?

Unemployment increased for the poorThe rich got richer and the poor remained

stagnant

End of Dictatorship

1. Who was responsible for ending the dictatorship rule?

Ernesto Geisel Joao Figueiredo

2. Why did the military agree to allowing civilian rule once again?

Brazil was safe from revolution

Pressure on the government to return to civilian rule

Military Regime did not solve any of the the basic problems of poverty, illiteracy, poor healthcare, social class gaps and social injustice.

The Military Regime in Argentina

1. Who returned from exile in 1973 to become president of Argentina?

Juan Peron

2. Who was his vice president?

His wife, Isabel Peron

3. Before his death and his wife's removal, what was happening in urban Argentina to facilitate a military coup?

Urban guerillas were kidnapping foreign businessmen for ransom

Foreign investors were scared off and economy collapsed

4. When did the military take charge of the country again?

Spring 1976

Process for National Reconstruction

1. How was the coup in Argentina different than the one in Brazil?

The military took over the country from the start,not gradually.

2. Who were the three military men responsible for the reconstruction of Argentina?

Jorge Videla, Orlando Agosti and Emilio Massera

3. What tactics were used to "steer the nation along the path of order and security"?

Military model imposed on court system

Opposition party was outlawed

Unions and elected assemblies dissolved

Constitution was ignoredAdmiral Massera

Economic Policy

1. What happened to the economy and unemployment during this time?

Similar to Brazil - standard of living declined, unemployment increased and government

support dried up.

The Dirty War

1. How many people disappeared during The Dirty War?

~ 30,000 (los desaparecidos – “the disappeared”)

2. How many camps were built by the government for torture and executions?

Over 340 Camps and Torture Centers

3. Which guerilla group was responsible for a significant number of bombings against the military government?

People’s Liberation Army

4. Which group brought international awareness to "the disappeared" in order for the government to release information about these victims and instigate charges against the perpetrators?

Mothers of the Disappeared

The End of The Dictatorship

1. What are some of the factors which led to the end of the Argentinean dictatorship?

GNP fell by 11%

National debt increased

Unemployment and poverty flourished

Lost the Falkland War

Military Regimes: An Assessment

While the coups helped stop Communism in their countries, it did not solve many issues. Provide 5 of these issues that remained unchanged or worsened. Gap grew between rich and poor

Women, minorities and common worker rights stagnated

Suspended democracy

Promoted violence and incarceration

Provided haven for other dictators and war criminals