Latin America History

Study Guide

Porfiriato

The Porfiriato was a period of authoritarian rule in Mexico under Porfirio Díaz from 1876 to 1911, marked by modernization and foreign investment. It created huge wealth gaps and displaced peasants. The regime collapsed and helped spark the Mexican Revolution.

Mexican Constitution of 1917

Revolutionary document that established land reform, labor rights, secular education, and limits on Church power. It represented victory for social reform movements born from the revolution. It shaped modern Mexican politics and influenced later Latin American reform efforts.

Psychological Warfare (Guatemala)

Psychological warfare in Guatemala refers to the state’s use of fear, disappearances, propaganda, and intimidation to control civilians during Cold War conflict. It was designed to silence dissent and target suspected opposition. It shows how authoritarian regimes used terror as a weapon beyond physical violence.

Legacies of Guatemala 1954

In 1954, President Arbenz was overthrown in a CIA-backed coup that ended hopes for democratic land reform in Guatemala. The overthrow led to decades of military rule, violence, and inequality. The coup became a defining example of U.S. Cold War intervention in Latin America.

History Will Absolve Me (Castro)

Fidel Castro's courtroom speech, "History Will Absolve Me" was created in 1953 after the failed Moncada attack in Cuba, while defending revolutionary action against Batista's dictatorship. Castro claimed the revolution was moral, necessary, and rooted for justice. The speech became a foundational text of Cuban revolutionary ideology.

Mariel Boatlift

Mass exodus of more than 100,000 Cubans to the U.S. in 1980 after Castro opened the port of Mariel. It revealed internal conflict, economic strain, and social frustration in Cuba. It reshaped U.S.–Cuban relations and diaspora identity

Peronism

Argentine political movement led by Juan and Eva Perón based on nationalism, labor mobilization, and social welfare. It empowered workers and challenged elite authority. It became one of the most influential forces in Argentine political history.

Estado Novo (Brazil)

Vargas’s authoritarian regime in Brazil (1937–45), emphasizing nationalism, industrialization, and strong state control. It promoted labor reform while limiting democratic freedoms. It shaped the rise of modern Brazilian identity and state power

Critics of Salvador Allende (Chile)

Political and economic opponents who argued Allende’s socialist reforms caused instability, shortages, and foreign threat. Their resistance contributed to the 1973 coup. They reflect the era’s intense Cold War polarization

Operation Condor

Coordinated network of South American dictatorships in the 1970s–80s that carried out transnational repression, including torture and assassination. It targeted leftist opponents and dissidents. It shows how authoritarianism spread across borders during the Cold War

Brazilian Dictatorship & “Moralism”

The regime promoted conservative values and censorship, defining dissent as immoral and socially dangerous. This framing helped justify repression and human rights abuses. It demonstrates how culture and ideology supported authoritarian rule

“New Man” (Che Guevara)

Che Guevara’s idea that revolution would create a morally transformed citizen motivated by collective good over personal profit. It linked socialism to ethical renewal. It influenced Cuban revolutionary thought and debates about identity and labor

Las Madres de la Plaza de Mayo

Argentine women protesting the disappearance of their children under military dictatorship. Their activism exposed state terror and demanded accountability. They became global symbols of human rights and resistance.

Liberation Theology

Catholic movement arguing that faith must address social injustice and uplift the poor. It challenged traditional Church hierarchy and supported grassroots struggles. It reshaped religion’s political role in Latin America during the Cold War

Coyote

A smuggler who transports migrants across borders, often charging high fees and operating outside law. Coyotes embody both opportunity and exploitation shaped by inequality. They highlight modern migration dynamics in the Americas

Pedagogy of the Oppressed

Paulo Freire’s educational philosophy promoting critical thinking and liberation through dialogue rather than passive learning. It challenged systems of domination. It influenced social movements and political education programs.

Vatican II

Global Catholic reform council (1962–65) encouraging modernization, lay participation, and social engagement. It supported greater openness to political activism. It helped inspire movements like Liberation Theology in Latin America

Salvadoran Civil War

Violent conflict from 1980–1992 between leftist guerrillas and a U.S.-backed military state. It involved widespread repression, displacement, and human rights abuses. It reflects Cold War struggles over democracy and inequality.

Disaster Capitalism

The use of crises — economic, political, or environmental — to impose neoliberal restructuring. It often intensified inequality and the transfer of public to private ownership and control within a business. It helps explain post-coup economic changes in Latin America

Chicago Boys & Milton Friedman

Chilean economists who learned from Milton Friedman introduced free-market changes during Pinochet’s rule. They sold off state-owned businesses and reduced government spending, transforming Chilean society. Their efforts led to a significant move towards neoliberalism in Latin America.