Chapter 37 Latin America. (1945-Present). (1) Forces Shaping Modern Latin America. (2) Latin America: the United States, and the World. (3) Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. (4) Focus on Argentina and Brazil. OAS is formed. Castro wins Cuba. Argentina gets democracy. 1948. 1959. 1983. (1) Forces Shaping Modern Latin America. Latin American nations face same problems as those facing developing nations rapid population growth, poverty, illiteracy, political instability, and authoritative governments A Diverse Region. Latin America is vast region from Mexico, Central America, Caribbean, South America. It includes 33 independent countries from tiny Grenada to Brazil about size of USA. 1492. Europeans impose their civilization on Native America. Later, they bring Africans. By 1880s the populations have mingled so that they have created new vital cultures. Chief language in region is Spanish. Portuguese in Brazil. French. English. Creole. Sources of Unrest. 1950s. Latin America has unrest due to modernization and failure to reform inequalities. Social Structure. A key feature of Latin America is uneven distribution of wealth. Tiny elite is in control. A wealthy few (land, mines, businesses) oppose reforms that threaten its economic power. Upper class is mostly European descendants. Lower class are mestizos, natives, Africans. Population and Poverty. In Latin America, as elsewhere, the population explosion contributes to poverty. Between 1930 and 1985 the populations of Brazil and Mexico increases by four times. The population of Latin America exceeds 600 million in year 2000. Urbanization. Today, about 70% of all Latin American live in cities. In shantytowns ringing the cities. people live in shacks without electricity, sewage, etc. But they get education, health care. Politics: Reform, Repression, or Revolution. Most Latin American states have constitutions modeled after those of French or USA. Yet real democracy is difficult to achieve in nations plagued by poverty and inequality. Competing Ideologies. Reformers include liberals, socialists, students, labor/peasant leaders, Catholic clergy. Conservatives include military, landed aristocracy, and growing business middle class. Military Regimes. Military leaders like caudillos of 1800s hold power in many Latin American nations. Military leaders try to solve economic woes by sponsoring capitalism. Pinochet in Chile. Economic Developments. Policy of import substitution: Reduce dependence on imports. Develop local industry. Agribusiness: Giant commercial farms owned by multinationals use modern technology. Crisis and Reform. Nations (Mexico, Brazil) cut spending on social programs, open markets, to pay debts. 1990s. Free-trade agreements open Latin America to larger markets. Changing Social Patterns. Women suffrage (1961). Liberation Theology (1960s, 1970s).
(2) Latin America: the United States, and the World. Latin America has developed policies in response to USA influence and regional issues. Communism in Cuba. 1898. Spanish-American war ends. Cuba wins independence from Spain. But Cuba is controlled by USA under the Platt Amendment until 1935. During those three decades American investors buy Cuban plantations and mills. Castro. 1953. Fidel Castro (1926- ), young lawyer, leads an attack on an army barracks. Unsuccessful. Castro is put in jail. Released. Goes into exile (1956) in Mexico. 1959. Castro leads his guerrilla army into victory over ousted Batista government. Cubans cheer Castro as a hero. But he turns Cuba into a communist state. Castro nationalizes sugar plantations. Puts most land under government control. 1960. Castro does some improve conditions for the poor. Basic Health care for all. Equality for women. Increases literacy rate. The literacy rate is the percentage of people who can read and write. But communist dictatorship angers middle-class Cubans. Jail. Flee to USA. Cold War Tensions. 1961. Bay of Pigs. USA backs a plot. Anti-Castro exiles invade Cuba to oust Castro. Fiasco. The invasion force that lands at the Bay of Pigs is quickly crushed. 1962. USA imposes an embargo, a ban on trade, against Cuba. Castro seeks closer ties to USSR. He lets Soviets build nuclear missile bases. October. JFK declares a naval blockade. Demands Soviets remove missiles. The Cuban Missile Crisis puts USA and USSR on the brink of war for days. In the end, Nikita Khrushchev backs down. Agrees to remove missiles ex Cuba. Recent Trends. 1991. USSR collapses. Cuba lose its chief ally and trading partner. Without Soviet aid the Cuban economy falls in shambles. Castro responds: Encourages tourism. Allows some free market pratices. The United States and Latin America. USA sees itself as defender of democracy and capitalism and source of humanitarian aid. Many Latin Americans however resent living under shadow of colossus of the north. Intervention. During Cold War USA intervenes in Latin America under banner of Monroe Doctrine. 1954. USA helps Guatemalan soldiers overthrow popularly-elected president Arbenz. 1973. USA quietly lends support of military coup of president Allende in Chile. 1989. USA invades Panama. Convicts General Noriega of drug-trafficking. 1990s. USA force military rulers out of Haiti. Regional and Global Issues. By end of Cold War many Latin American nations have reduced dependence on USA. Oil-rich Venezuela joins Arabs in OPEC. Brazil works with Africa to support coffee prices. Regional Ties. 1993. NAFTA. Mexico links its economy to tose of USA and Canada. The Drug Wars. 1990s. USA declares a war on drugs. Colombia. Peru. Bolivar. All grow cocoa. Development Versus the Environment. Developing nations insist they have to exploit their land to attain economic growth. Most publicized: Brazil has razed rain forest for farms, ranches, highways, cities. But environmentalists complain rain forest absorbs CO2 from air and releases O2.
(3) Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. Although Mexico undergoes change with relatively little turmoil several Central American countries (such as Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador and Haiti) are torn by civil war. After Mexico has a long, violent revolution in early 1900s its government tries to help poor. The Rural Poor. 1930s. President Lazaro Cardenas takes steps to fulfill promises of Mexican Revolution. Land reform. He distributes millions of acres of land to peasants. Most land goes to ejidos or peasant cooperatives. Some small plots to families. Program is unsuccessful. Land is arid that needs to be fertilized and irrigated. As rural populations grow the land is subdivided and exhausted from over farming. Presidents after Cardenas pay less attention to rural poor. They instead favor agribusinesses that produce cash-earning export crops. As conditions get worse many peasants migrate to towns and cities, especially the capital. The population of Mexico City balloons from 1.5 million (1940) to 18 million (2003). PRI in Control. Since Mexican Revolution a single party Institutional Revolutionary Party dominates. It claims to represent all groups from workers, peasants, businessmen, to the military. It holds on to power by offering social reforms in education, welfare, and health. As a result, the PRI keeps discontent from exploding into violence. 1968. Student protests shake Mexico (as it did in other western countries). Riot police and army brutally suppress the turmoil. Summer Olympics. 1994. Revolt in Chiapas, southern Mexico, large Native American population. Rebels demand land reform for Natives cut out of economic prosperity. PRI out of Control. 2000. PRI loses (1 st time,70 years). Vincente Fox (National Action Party) is president. Economic Ups and Downs. Mexico promotes industry: invests in roads, dams, and ports. Encourages tourism. Mexico s economy (by 1980s) is second largest in Latin America after that of Brazil. But worldwide recession (in 1980s), falling oil prices, rising interest rates plunge Mexico deeply into debt. Mexico (debtor nation) cuts spending on social programs to pay off debt. Poverty and Prosperity. Maquiladoras are assembly plants on Mexico s northern border owned by multinationals. The plants use cheap Mexican labor to assemble imported cars, electronic goods for USA. Links to the United States. 1993. Mexico, USA, and Canada sign NAFTA. North American Free Trade Agreement. War and Peace in Central America. Nicaragua. 1979. Rebels (Sandinistas) oust Somoza family (anti-communists) supported by USA. President Reagan backs guerillas (contras) who fight Sandinistas. Violates OAS, 1996. Sandinistas peacefully hand over political power but keep control of the army. Guatemala. 1954. USA helps oust reformist government (seen as a threat to USA interests). 1996. A 30-year civil war ends. USA pressures government to agree with guerrillas. El Salvador. 1980. Archbishop Romero is gunned down serving mass. 1991. UN brokers a peace between reformers and conservatives. Coffee is single export. Haiti. 1996. Aristide resign presidency. Backdrop: Papa Doc (1957-71). Baby Doc (1971-86).
(4) Focus on Argentina and Brazil. Argentina and Brazil have worked to develop stable governments and strong economies. Dictatorship and Democracy in Argentina. 1900s, Argentina is largest Spanish-speaking nation in world and richest in Latin America. Stable government. Dominant wealthy elite. Exports: beef, wheat, mostly to Britain. 1929. Great Depression. For next 50 years Argentina suffers economic crises, social unrest, military rule. Peron in Power. 1946. Juan Peron is elected president. Wins loyalty of working class. Nationalist. Limits foreign-owned business. Promotes import substitution. Boosts wages. Strengthens labor unions. Enacts social reforms. 1952. Eva Duarte Peron dies. She built clinics. Gave money to poor and unemployed. Peron woos urban poor. But his policies lead to huge debt and soaring inflation. 1955. Juan Peron is ousted by a military coup. Goes into exile. Military Rule. For two decades the military is in and out of power. 1973. Juan Peron returns from exile. He is elected president again. His new wife. Isabel, is chosen as vice-president. 1974. Juan Peron dies. Isabel becomes 1 st female head of state in western hemisphere. 1976. The military takes power. 1982. Falkland War. Military tries to mask economic woes by seizing Malvinas. Argentina makes a mistake. Thinks Britain would not fight over islands. Argentina loses decisively. Military loses power. Free elections ensue. Democracy Restored. 1983. An elected government restores democracy to Argentina. 1990s. Inflation is cut. Argentina heeds IMF financial reforms. But unemployment stays high. Brazil s People and Government. Brazil occupies nearly 50% of South America. Amazon River. World s largest rain forest. Population. Brazil has 178 million people in 2003, more than any South American country. Portuguese. Brazil has a diverse society (source of strength): American Indian, African, Portuguese. Most are Roman Catholic with growing number of evangelical Protestant faiths. Others practice Candomble, a form of worship that blends African and Christian beliefs. More than 75% of Brazilians live in cities. Favelas, slums, ring the major cities. Homeless. Political Instability. 1964. Military seizes power. Is quietly supported by USA (fearing communism). 1989. Brazil is able to vote directly for a president for first time in 29 years. 1993. Plebiscite. People vote to keep Brazil a republic (no return to monarchy). Brazil s Economic Miracle. Brazil moves away (in 1930s) from dependence of single export by diversifying economy. Government encourages industry. Builds highways, hydroelectric plants, and schools. 1950s. President Kubitsschek carves new capital, Brasilia, in Amazon forest region. 1980s. Problems: Inflation (high oil prices). Staggering debt. Population growth. 1994. Cardoso, a respected economist, is elected president. Gets relected in 1998. His policies succeed in promoting economic growth and limiting inflation. 2002. Luiz da Silva, union leader, is elected president. IMF Debt is $300 billion.
Mr. McDermott s Notes. This marks the end a digest of the 37 chapters contained in World History: Connections To Today. Prentice-Hall 2001 edition.