Latin American Politics Midterm

What is the definition of populism?

Populists claim the other side is the enemy

• Us. VS Them (“The pure people” vs “The corrupt Elite”)

• They don’t want their power to be limited

  • by the courts, opposition, or legislature

• They think they’re the only people that can solve the problem

• THEY WANT TO BE KING

EX: TRUMP

What characteristics does a populist leader need to have?

• Needs to be charismatic

  • promises to to fix everything if given the power

What saying do populists use in order to justify their actions

That they were elected democratically so really everyone who voted did this to themselves.

What is nationalism

The idea that elevates one nation above all others

Is populism an ideology

No, it is more of a political strategy

• Can be left wing or right wing

• Purely just relies on having a strong leader

How is populism harmful to democracy?

• Nothing to keep the government in check of gaining absolute control (the accountability is getting weakened or destroyed)

• Ethnic minorities are left outside of who truly belongs to the nation

  • Their needs are not prioritized.

What is the main danger of right-wing populists

They argue that people in charge (elites, media) are completely out of touch with normal citizens

• Argue they look down on everyday people

• “They don’t understand you”

• “They look down on you”

• “They are changing your country”

What is consolidation (democracy)

Democracy is so stable and mature that returning to an authoritarian regime IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY (“The only game in town”)

• Expectation of free/fair elections

• Even if someone loses an election, they agree to resolve their conflicts through legal, democratic institutions

  • Rather than resorting to military coups or violence

What is consolidated autocracy

Non-Democratic regime (Authoritarian rule) has become so stable and secure that the ruling of elite faces NO REALISTIC THREAT of losing power

• Expectation of continued authoritarian rule

• No change :(

What are the many ways to stay in power?

• Subversion of institutions

  • EX: Putting your friends on court

• Controlling media

  • No Opposition

• Cultivation of military loyalty

  • giving military access to other parts of the economy

• Use of economic incentives (bribes/pressures)

  • EX: Giving people money to leave or to be quiet

• Undermining or dividing opposition

• Force AND Intimidation (arresting journalists)

How do elections harm democracy

Allows non-democratic leaders to show power by playing with rules and ignoring results

How do elections help democracy

Mobilizes opposition

• different opposition groups are forced to unite to have a fighting chance (They don’t fight each other)

• Wakes up voters from feeling completely useless. They’re able to show up and demand change

• Makes it harder for a corrupt government to rig the vote

What is traditional authoritarianism

Full Dictatorship

• Elections are either banned, or entirely ceremonial with 99% victory margins.

  • There is no real contest

• Opposition is Illegal.

  • Openly criticizing results in imprisonment, exile, or death

• Media is controlled by the state (Television, radio or print media )

  • Journalism is non-existent

• Method of control consists of violence, mass arrests, and fear to prevent opposition from forming

What is competitive authoritarianism

• Elections are real but unfair (So there’s competition, but it is not fair)

  • Opposition can legally run and “realistically” win, BUT the government heavily rigs the playing field by violating democratic rules for their advantage

• The regime uses the law as a weapon

  • Courts, tax laws, and state resources are used to handicap opposition

• Fire democratic-oriented officals

What doesn’t democracy resolve

1. poverty

2. corruption

3. crime

Venezuela BEFORE Chavez

Democracy and Oil

• Considered one of Latin America’s most stable democracies for decades after 1958. (One of the most riches)

  • However, its economy became extremely dependent on oil

  • created a lot of vulnerability when the prices of oil changed

What is the resource curse?

When you have lots of valuable natural resources, it can actually create economic and political problems instead of guaranteeing prosperity (having stable income, financial security, freedom from poverty)

What was Venezuela’s actual problem?

It became TOO dependent on oil, not that they lacked resources

Venezuela Dutch Disease

When you are too dependent on one sector of the government that you can’t develop other sectors

• EX: Too dependent on oil, nothing else was developed

What did oil contribute to in Venzuela?

• Heavy dependence on one industry

• Less likely to develop agriculture/manufacturing

• Corruption and concentration of wealth/power

• Less reliance on taxing citizens

• HUGEEEE VULNERABILITY when oil prices fell

Was chavez a democrat?

While he was elected democratically, he increasingly weakened institutions that would limit his power. (Hybrid regime, not liberal democracy or dictatorship)

• Started as a Democrat:

  • Came to power through an election

  • Maintained electoral institutions

  • Had GENUINE mass support (more poor Venezuelans)

  • Used government resources for social programs that addressed poverty and inequality

• Transition to Dictatorship:

  • Expanded executive authority

  • weakened institutional checks & balances

  • Increased influence over courts

  • Limited media

  • Appointed judges, generals, ect based on their personal or party loyalty rather than professional qualifications

How did Chavez gain power?

1. He wins democratically

2. He uses his popularity to cause major institutional changes (altering laws, rules, system)

3. Weakens institutions that can oppose him

4. Government gains greater control over courts, media, military, legislature, and PDVSA

5. Political competition becomes unequal

What is the main lesson about democratic erosions?

It does not REQUIRE military coups.

• An elected leader can gradually weaken democracy from within democratic institutin

What did oil have to do with Chavez

He benefited enormously from high oil prices. (He was lucky)

• The economy was good under him bc the oil prices gave the government money for social spending

What did Chavez use oil income for?

• Fund social programs

• Help poorer Venezuelans

• Build political support

• finance his political project

A problem because then Venezuela became even more dependent on oil

PDVSA what happened

Chavez fired thousands of experienced (expert) PDVSA workers after a strike

• Caused production to fail

• Investment and maintenance suffered

What are the main reasons Venezuela went from the richest country to collapsing?

• Dependence on oil

• Resource curse

• Poor economic policies

• Corruption/ Mismanagement

• Weakening institutions

• No economic diversity

What made Venezuela economy worse after Chavez died?

Oil prices were falling and Maduro was now in power

• More shortages, inflation, declining production, political instability, and an enormous humanitarian/economic crisis

What is the timeline of oil wealth in Venezuela

Under Chavez:

1. Dependence on resources

2. HUGE government revenue (bc oil prices were high)

3. Chavez funds social programs

4. Popularity + Consolidation of power

5. Failure to diversity + management (bet everything on oil)

Under Maduro;

1. Oil prices/ production fall

2. Government LOSES revenue

3. Economic crisis

4. Political crisis

5. FURTHER authoritarianism

What did Maduro Inherit from Chavez?

• Weakened institutions

• Oil dependance

• economic vulnerabilities

Maduro then:

1. further consolidated power through REPRESSION, censorship, institutional control, and contested elections (deeper authoritarian consolidation)

What was Chavez’s foreign policy?

Strongly opposed U.S influence (isolated themselves)

• wanted closer relationships with governments such as Cuba that were also anti-US

• Built is own bank (Bank of the South) to not be under control of the U.S

• Worsened the chance of rebuilding the economy

What does Venezuela represent as a country?

How a country can have Democracy and enormous natural resource wealth, but still experience economic crisis, democratic erosion, and authoritarian consolidation

• Its not just populism that destroys a country but rather several factors

What social programs did Chavez help fund

Food, medical subsidies, free education, and infrastructure reforms

What was Venezuela like under Maduro?

• Supreme court was controlled by his government

• Stole the election frin Machado

  • refused to turn over any ballots

  • unleashed repression

How did Maduro unleash repression?

• “Knock Knock” where his government arrested thousands of opposition & journalists

• Physical abuse, sleep deprivation & held prisoners (they had no way of communication)

• Deployed armed militias to intimidate

• Restricted Journalism

• Blocked social media platforms

• Inspected citizens phones

What was Cuba like before Castro?

Batista was in power.

• Cuba was an authoritarian state

  • Torture, police violence, and killings were held against opposition

  • Triggered protests of united diverse groups (students, lawyers, politicians, ect)

• Although parts of the economy (sugar, tourism, and casinos) were prosperous, WEALTH was distributed very unevenly & rural poverty was still serious

Why was there a revolution in Cuba?

Inequality, Corruption, Batista’s repression and growing opposition is what caused the revolution.

• DID NOT begin as a communist revolution

What did Castro originally campaign as?

Apart of the Orthodox party

• Nationalist, reformist, anti-corruption (NOT communist)

• OPPOSED to Batista

• Was arrested after failed attack on the Moncada Barracks, but led his own defense in court

  • Used his trial to make his case against dictatorship stronger

  • Learned that if you can control the narrative about what is happening, you are the star

How did Castro gain support?

He was very good at controlling the political narrative

• His trial helped publicize his opposition to Batista fighting a brutal dictatorship

• Worked with Che and Camilo

• Batista’s repression worked against him, because the more brutal his regime seemed, the easier it was for Castro to portray himself as fighting for change.

  • Eventually, Batista fled

What is the simplified way Castro got support?

1. Batista’s repression

2. opposition grows

3. Castro becomes symbol of resistance

4. Batista loses support and flees

5. Castro wins in 1959

Repression after Cuba’s Revolution

Castro criticized Batista’s government of dictatorship & repression

• However, once he took over, his government used executions, imprisonment, intimidation and political repression worse than batista ever did

• “Repression in Reverse”

• Castro punished people in Batista’s government, but that turned into him punishing new people who opposed his government

What is the simplified timeline of what Castro did once he took office?

1. Castro fought an authoritarian government

2. Promised political change

3. consolidated power

4. Created ANOTHER authoritarian political system that was probably worse

What caused Cuba under Castro to become more communist

The conflicts they had made them have a closer relationship with the Soviet Union, which made them have a communist system

• Anti- Batista —> Nationalist/socialist reform —> socialist policies —> Conflict with U.S —> closer relationship with USSR —> Communist system

Why did Castro deny he was communist for so long?

Cuba is heavily Catholic and conservative

• Openly embracing communism could have cost the revolution support

What is Cuba’s beef with the U.S

Relationship got destroyed in 1959 after Cuba nationalized property and moved towards socialism + Soviet

• 1960 U.S EMBARGO

  • Restricted trade with cuba

• 1961 Bay of the pigs Invasion

  • A failed U.S invasion to overthrow Castro. This strengthened Castro politically and made Cuba’s relationship with USSR stronger

• 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis

  • Brought the U.S & USSR extremely close to a nuclear war after Soviet placed nuclear missiles in Cuba

  • Castro was willing for the whole planet to suffer

• Cold war → Cuba allies with Soviet Union

Why did the Revolution in Cuba survive?

• Repression (restricted opposition, media controlled, neighborhood mobilization & surveillance by the CDRs)

• The Revolution was also built around:

  • Nationalism: Cuba standing up to the U.S

  • Social programs: healthcare and education

  • Revolutionary identity: the revolution was tied to authoritarianism & the victory over Batista

  • External support: economic assistance from the USSR during the Cold War

  • Portraying U.S pressure as a threat to Cuban civilians (“The U.S is trying to destroy and control Cuba, so we must defend the revolution)

Why did Castro survive?

Not just because he was a dictator

• Repression

• Nationalism

• Revolutionary legitimacy

• social achievements

• soviet support

What did the collapse of the USSR do to Cuba

Cuba lost their essential source of trade, subsidies, and economic support

• Went into a economic crisis (Special period) and government is forced to adapt

• 35% decline in GDP

• Shortages in food and medicine

Why has the Cuban economy failed?

Internal factors:

• The government controlled wages, prices, employment, production, agriculture and businesses

• This caused WEAK incentives, INEFFICIENT enterprises, LOW productivity, economic mismanagement

External factors

• US embargo/ sanctions restricted Cuba of access to trade, financing, investment, and certain goods

Cuba’s economic problems result from BOTH internal economic weaknesses and external pressure from the U.S

Why did Cuba depend so heavily on the Soviet Union

During the cold war, the soviet union supported them economically

• Soviet trade, subsidies/ support, and preferential arrangements

• This helped their economy continue to function despite their issues with U.S

Why isn’t Castro ONLY associated with repression

While he restricted political freedoms, his government heavily invested in education, healthcare and literacy.

• A government can achieve certain social outcomes while still being authoritarian

Timeline of Chile

1. Allende was elected (Democracy)

2. Economic political crisis

3. 1973 Military Coup

4. Pinochet dictatorship (repression and neoliberal economic reforms)

5. 1988 Plebiscite (Pinochet loses)

6. 1989 Election (Aylwin wins, return to Democracy)

7. Democratic consolidation & dealing with dictator Pinochet’s legacy

Showcases the ups and downs of democracy

How was Allende elected

Democratically elected in 1970 as a socialist/Marxist (36% of the vote, congress selected him)

• Socialism does NOT equal authoritarianism

• He wanted to created Democratic socialism through the Chile’s existing political institutions

What were Allende’s policies

• Nationalization (COPPER)

• Greater government involvement in the economy

• Programs benefiting workers/lower income groups

• Redistribution

Political polarization (1973 crisis)

Chile became increasingly divided between the left and the right

• THE CENTER COLLAPSED

• economic problems, strikes, protests, and political conflict increased

• Allende’s opponents became more scared of socialism and opposed his policies (strong opposition, military intervention becomes more likely)

Why did the U.S care about Chile?

The cold war.

• Nixon administration opposed Allende and feared the expansion of socialism/communism in LA.

  • Cuban Revolution → Cuba aligns with USSR → Cold war fear of communist influence → Allende elected DEMOCRATICALLY

• The U.S believed a socialist had won through elections

How important was the U.S to the coup? (Their 9/11)

The Nixon administration worked to undermine Allende by converting political intervention & economic pressures.

• However, declassified records do NOT establish the U.S directly organized the coup

So, Both international and domestic factors caused the coups

• Domestic:

  • Political polarization , economic crisis, opposition to Allende, weakening center, military intervention

• International factor

  • cold war, U.S opposition to Allende, covert/economic pressure

What was the 9/11 military coup?

Chile’s 9/11 (September 11, 1973)

• The military attacked La Moneda (the president palace)

• Allende gave his final speech and then killed himself by shooting himself in the head

• Augusto Pinochet, who Allende appointed to be commander in chief of the army, became a dominant figure

• CHILES LONG DEMOCRATIC TRADITION COLLAPSED

Pinochets Dictatorship

He ruled from 1973-1990

• DISSOLVED congress

• restricted/banned political parties

• censored media

• repressed political opposition

• arrested political opponents

• Used tortue

• Carried out killings and forced disappearances

• Forced many chileans into exile

Militaries government was authoritarian

DINA

Pinochet’s era secret police/intelligence agency

• Surveillance

• detention

• tortue

• disappearances

• killing political opponents

What is Bureaucratic Authoritarianism (BA)?

Military and bureaucratic experts take power and remove ordinary democratic politics from major decision making

• Their justification was that politicians created chaos/economic problems, so how abt you remove the politics from economic decisions and let the “experts” make the rational decisions

• Political participation/opposition restricted

• Argued authoritarianism made it easier to impose major economic reforms b/c political opposition could not block them

BA in Latin America

Wasn’t just chile

• Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay

• Many governments were right wing, anti-communist, and authoritarian

• Cold war meant the U.S supported anti-communist governments

Neoliberalism

Markets/private businesses should play a larger economic role while the government plays a small one

• Under Pinochet, Chicago Boys (economists) helped implement this by:

  • Privatization

  • trade liberalization

  • Emphasis on exports

  • reduced government economic intervention

Allende VS Pinochet

Allende was more:

• Government ownership

• Nationalization

• Socialist Policies

Pinochet was

• PRIVATE ownership

• PRIVATEization

• Free market policies

Pinochet basically reversed all of Allende’s policies

Did Pinochet’s policies work?

While there was economic growth, chile also experienced SERVE recessions and substantial social costs/inequality

What was Chile’s “Operation Condor”

cooperation among Latin American authoritarian regimes to pursue political opponents across national borders

• So, authoritarian repression wasn’t confined to one country

How did PInochet lose power?

Pinochet’s 1980 constitution provided a future PLEBISCITE (not election) on whether the regime’s nominee (Pinochet) would continue as president for another 8 year term

• Yes= Pinochet continues, No= move toward competitive elections

• Pinochet expected to win. Only 43% voted yes

• Why did the opposition succeed? Because of the NO Campaign convincing voters that democratic change was possible

Why is the plebiscite so important?

It shows something really interesting about democracy

• Chile used mechanisms contained within the dictatorships OWN institutional framework to being removing Pinochet from presidential power

• The opposition decided instead of overthrowing the regime military → participate in the plebiscite → defeat Pinochet through voting.

When did democracy return for Chile?

After Pinochet lost, Alywin’s government began Chile’s formal transition back to a democratic civilian government

• 1988: NO operation wins!

• 1898: presidential elections

• Alywin wins 55%

• March 11, 1990 Aylwin takes office

What did Pinochet do after he lost

He DID NOT disappear

• Elements of the old authoritarian system remained because he still had power as being commander in chief of the army until 1998.

• 1989 parliament still had 9 Appointed designated senators

So transitioning from dictatorship to democracy does NOT instantly remove every feature of the dictatorship. Democratic consolidation takes time.

What does Chile’s new government do about crimes committed under the dictatorship?

They couldn’t ignore tortue, disappearances, killings and political repression, but immediately prosecuting military leaders also had risks during the fragile transition

• Alywin created the National Commision for Truth & Reconciliation (Rettig Report) to investigate serious human rights violations committed during the dictatorship & establish what happened to the victims

Pinochet’s arrest

1998 Pinochet traveled to London where he was arrested following a Spanish extradition request related to human-rights abuses

• He eventually returned to Chile and faced legal proceedings there, but he died in 2006 without a final conviction

• Represents accountability vs immunity and whether former authoritarian leaders can eventually be prosecuted for human rights violations

Pinochet’s legacy

Chile remained divided over his legacy.

• supporters emphasized economic reforms and opposition to communism

• Critics emphasized destruction of democracy, torture, disappearances, killings, repressions

Colombia current event

Colombia signed a peace agreement with FARC in 2016, but dissident factions remained. Petro emphasized negotiation, while new president De la Espriella has shifted toward a tougher military approach. The current debate is whether force or negotiation is more effective for dealing with armed groups and crime.

Argentina current event

Former Argentine president Cristina Kirchner is already under house arrest following a separate corruption conviction and now faces additional proceedings with her son Maximo involving alleged money laundering through family businesses. The story connects to corruption, rule of law, and debates about the relationship between courts and politics

Haiti current event

Haiti is experiencing severe gang violence and weak state capacity. A major gang attack in Kenscoff killed 47 people and kidnapped more than 50, raising questions about whether Haiti’s police can protect citizens. This also creates controvesy over U.S deportations to Haiti because deportees may be returned to dangerous conditions

Brazil current event

Brazil’s 2026 election pits incumbent left wing president Lula against right-wing senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the son of the former president. Jair (the father) is imprisoned following his conviction over a failed effort to overturn his 2022 election loss. Flavio is trying to maintain much of his father’s political movement while presenting himself somewhat differently, and freeing his father is an important campaign goal. The election connects to the course themes of populism, political polarization, rule of law, and the resilience of democratic institutions.