Post WWII Latin AmericaDouble Standards & Hypocrisy

Democracy=

• ????

Problems with Independence

• Strong Military• Weak Economy—dependent on single cash

crops• Weak Social Structure—large gap between the

rich & poor• All of these problems lead to instability

Brazil 1822-1964

• Monarchy from independence in 1822-1889• 1889-1930s Republic controlled by the wealthy• 1930-1945 Getulio Vargas ruled as a dictator but

modernized the nation• 1945 Democratic Constitution established,

followed by economic growth• 1964 Military seizes power, state controlled

economy

Brazil 1974-1989

• 1974 General Geisel introduces democratic reforms

• 1982 Brazil stops paying it’s foreign debt• 1986 Democratic elections held• 1988 New constitution limits presidential

powers• 1989 First direct elections held but economic

problems continue

Brazil 1992-present

• 1992 Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro• 1994 Cardoso elected president, admits existence

of slavery• 2000 500th Anniversary celebrations, indigenous

Indians claim genocide continues• 2002 Brazil wins 5th World Cup Title• 2010 First woman elected President• 2011 Road connecting Peru’s Pacific coast to

Brazil’s Atlantic coast opens

Mexico 1917-1940

• Relatively stable for most of the 20th century• 1917 Constitution organized a democratic

government• 1920-1934 Several generals from the National

Revolutionary Party elected president• 1934-1940 President Cardenas tries to

improve life for lower classes, nationalizes oil industry

Mexico 1940-1990s

• National Revolutionary Party becomes Institutional Reform Party, PRI

• Although elections are held the PRI uses corruption to maintain power

• 1988 Salinas of the opposition party wins presidential election

• Salinas & Clinton sign NAFTA to allow free trade between US & Mexico

Mexico 1990s-today

• 1994 Rebellion in Chiapas begins• 2000 PRI driven out of power with the election of

Vincente Fox• Fox attempted to reform the police & political

corruption & end the revolt in Chiapas• Illegal immigration from Mexico is an issue with

US relations• Drug cartels & violence also a problem along the

border, especially in Juarez

Argentina 1939-1949

• 1939 Argentina neutral in WWII• 1943 Military coup, favors Japan & Germany

but breaks ties & declares war in 1945• 1946 Gen. Juan Peron elected president by

promising higher wages & social security, Eva Peron controls labor relations

• 1949 Disrespect to the government is outlawed & opposition newspapers suppressed

Argentina 1951-1974

• 1951 Gen. Peron re-elected in a landslide• 1952 Eva Peron dies of cancer• 1955 Peron overthrown by a military coup, 1853

constitution reinstated• 1966 Military coup• 1973 Peronist candidate wins presidency, then resigns &

Juan Peron takes office, again• 1974 Juan Peron dies, his 3rd wife, Isabel Peron, becomes

1st woman president in the Western Hemisphere

Argentina 1975- Today

• 1975 300% inflation destroys the economy• 1976 Military coup, thousands “disappear” in

the Dirty War against the dictatorship• 1982 Falklands War lost to Great Britain• 1983 Civilian government returns,

investigation into “Dirty War” begins• Economic problems continue• Anti-Semitic terrorist acts continue to occur

Cuba 1959-1962

• 1959 Fidel Castro overthrows the unpopular but U.S. supported dictator, Fulgencio Batista

• Castro establishes a totalitarian dictatorship• 1961 Bay of Pigs-U.S. trained rebels land in

Cuba but fail to overthrow Castro without air support

• 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis-closest the world came to nuclear war

Cuba 1972-1996• 1972 Cuba joins the USSR’s Council for Mutual

Economic Assistance• 1976-1981 Cuba sends troops to support

communists in African civil wars (Angola & Ethiopia)

• 1980 Cubans flee to the USA• 1991 Loss of Soviet support weakens the Cuban

economy• 1994 US agrees to accept 20,000 Cubans a year &

Cuba stops mass exodus• 1996 U.S. trade embargo becomes permanent

Cuba 2003-Today• 2003 “Black Spring” 75 dissidents sentenced

to 28 years in jail. 3 hijackers executed after trying to flee to US

• 2006 Fidel Castro’s health begins to decline, withdraws from public appearances

• 2008 Fidel Castro resigns, Raul Castro becomes President

• 2014 US & Cuba begin to “normalize” diplomatic relations

Nicaragua 1933-1990

• 1933 Somoza family rules Nicaragua as dictators• 1979 Sandinistas overthrow the dictatorship• Both US & USSR give aid to Daniel Ortega & the

Sandinistas, until aid El Salvador is involved• US then aids the anti-communist Contras• 1990 free elections are held, Violetta Chamorro

elected president

Nicaragua 2004 - Today• 2004 World Bank erases 80% of Nicaragua’s debt• 2006 Nicaragua unveils plans to build canal

between Atlantic & Pacific Oceans• 2006 CAFTA takes effect, free trade agreement

with the US• 2006 Former president Daniel Ortega re-elected• 2009 Constitution changed so Ortega can be re-

elected• 2011 Daniel Ortega wins re-election, his family

owns ½ the television networks in Nicaragua

El Salvador 1932-1980• 1932 Peasant uprising, 30,000 people killed• 1977 Gen. Carlos Romero elected president, leftist

rebel group FMLN begins retaliation for attacks on peasants

• 1979-1981 30,000 people killed by right-wing government ‘death squads’

• 1980 Archbishop of San Salvador & human rights advocate, Oscar Romero assassinated during mass

• 1980 1st civilian president in 50 years elected

El Salvador 1983-1993• 1984 Duarte re-elected• 1986 Duarte tries to negotiate peace with FMLN,

violence continues• 1989 Arena candidate Alfredo Cristiani elected

president• 1991 FMLN recognized as a political party, U.N.

sponsored peace accord signed by FMLN & government

• 1993 Government grants amnesty for human rights violations during the FMLN war

El Salvador 2003- Today • 2003 Salvadoran troops sent to Iraq• 2004 CAFTA ratified• 2009 FMLN candidate Mauricio Funes elected

president, 1st loss for Arena party in 20 years• 2011 Government apologizes for civil war

massacre in El Mozote• 2015 Oscar Romero beatified by the Catholic

Church

Summary• Liberation Theology- priests & nuns have led many of the

revolutions & human rights campaigns in Latin America because they work with the poor & they are educated

• Weak economies-poor infrastructure & little economic opportunity or growth

• Extremes in wealth- a few very wealthy families & majority live in grinding poverty

• Strong Military-frequent military coups prevent economic growth & therefore maintain the extremes in wealth