History of Latin America Final
Lecture “Oct. 21 PPT Batle Vargas Peróns Populism”
What was batllismo in Uruguay?
It was a philosophy that emphasized nationalism and social, political, and economic development.
In what ways did the creation of the UCR party and the election of Yrigoyen in 1916 mark a turning point in Argentinian politics?
Before Yirigoyen, Argentine politics was controlled by the Generation of ‘80, an elite group that ruled through patronage, limited suffrage, and electoral fraud. Yirigoyen’s election ended this monopoly, representing the first time power shifted to a political party advocating for reform and inclusivity.
Yirigoyen’s presidency symbolized the emergence of populist and reformist policies. He advocated for:
Greater social equity.
Workers’ rights and improved labor conditions.
The regulation of working hours
His policies marked a shift toward addressing the concerns of urban workers and the middle class.
Know key features of the political style of Juan and Eva Perón in Argentia in the 1940s and early 50s. Through what political strategy did they build political power?
Argentine Institute for the Promotion of Trade (IAPI) intervention.
Using proceeds from agriculture exports to subsidize industry
Using targeted tariffs to protect industries
Nationalization of foreign enterprises
Class politics (coalition of labor, managers, army)
Wage justice, rising purchase power for workers
Populist politics and rhetoric
Puts limits on democratic process.
To what social sectors did they appeal?
Lower and working class
Motorcycle Diaries
Be familiar with the passage where Che and his buddy Alberto meet up with the poor couple looking for the mines.
“By the light of a single candle illuminating us, drinking mate and eating a piece of bread and cheese, the man’s shrunken figure carried a mysterious, tragic air. In his simple, expressive language he recounted his three months in prison,a dn told us about his starving wife who stood by him… At eight the next morning we found a truck to take us to the town of Chuquicamata. We separated from the couple who were heading for the sulphur mines in the mountains where the climate is so bad and the living conditions so hard that you don’t need a work permit and nobody asks you what your politics are. The only thing that matters is the enthusiasm with which the workers set to ruining their health in search of a few meager crumbs that barely provide sustenance.”
Che’s observations about what “communism” may have meant to this couple and others like them.
“It’s a great pity that they repress people like this. Apart from whether collectivism, the “communist vermin,” is a danger to decent life, the communism gnawing at his entrails was no more than a natural longing for something better, a protest against persistent hunger transformed into a love for this strange doctrine, whose essence he could never grasp but whose translation, “bread for the poor,” was something which he understood and, more importantly, filled with hope.”
Che’s account of his conversation with the American manager or overseer and the local man who showed them around at Chuquicamata copper mine.
“Once there, the bosses, the blond, efficient and arrogant managers, told us in primitive Spanish: “This isn’t a tourist town. I’ll find a guide to give you a half-hour tour around the mine’s installations and then do us a favor and leave us alone, we have a lot of work to do.”... Yet the guide, faithful dog of the Yankee bosses, told us: “Imbecilic gringos, losing thousands of pesos every day in a strike so as not to give a poor worker a few more centavos. When my General Ibáñez comes to power, that'll all be over.”
Lecture: PPT “Guatemala's Experiment in Economic Nationalism”
Neocolonialism:
The use of economic, political, cultural, or other pressures to control or influence other countries, especially former dependencies.
UFCO:
The United Fruit Company was an American multinational corporation established in 1899 that became a dominant force in the production and export of tropical fruits.
The company was formed through the merger of the Boston Fruit Company and Minor C. Keith’s banana operations in Central America
UFCO controlled extensive land holdings, transportation networks (especially railroads), and port facilities where it operated
The company’s ties to U.S. policymakers led to allegations that it played a role in shaping U.S. foreign policy in Latin America, including interventions like the CIA-backed coup in Guatemala in 1954 which ousted President Jacobo Árbenz after he attempted to implement land reforms affecting UFCO holdings.
Banana Republics:
A “banana republic” refers to a politically unstable country with an economy dependent on exporting a single product, often controlled by foreign corporations. The term is often used to describe nations in Central America whose governments were influenced or controlled by foreign companies like UFCO.
Caudillo rulers like Canrera & Ubico:
Arbenz’s reforms:
Develop national infrastructure:
Foreign investment is welcome “as long as it adjusts to local conditions, cooperates with the economic development of the country, and strictly abstains from intervening in the nation’s social and political life.”
Create a modest personal income tax
Agrarian reform:
Redistribute uncultivated lands
Purchased over 25 years at 3%interest
Valuations based on self-declared taxable value of May 1952
CIA:
The CIA’s involvement in Guatemala is a pivotal chapter in the Cold war. It played a major role in the 1954 Guatemalan coup d’état, which overthrew the democratically elected government of Jacobo Árbenz Guzmán. The coup ws authorized by President Eisenhower on the advice of Secretary of State John Foster Dulles.
Dulles brothers:
The Dulles brothers were former partners of United Fruit’s main law firm in Washington
Cuban Revolution
Various provisions of the Platt Amendment to Cuba’s new constitution
Prohibited the Cuban Government from entering into any international treaty that would compromise Cuban independence or allow foreign powers to use the island for military purposes.
U.S. companies began to acquire vast amounts of Cuban land, establishing large sugar plantations and mills, often referred to as centrales.
Sugar & economic dependency (key moments from 1903-1934)
Cuba’s economic dependency on sugar and its intertwined relationship with the U.S. significantly shaped its political and economic trajectory between 1903 and 1934.
Key moments:
Platt Amendment
Rise of Sugar Monoculture
Sugar became the cornerstone of Cuba’s economy accounting for the majority of its exports
World War I and the “Dance of the Millions
During World War I, global sugar prices soared, and Cuba experienced an economic boon known as th eDance of the Millions
1920s: Increasing U.S. Control
1930: The Great Depression
Moncada Barracks & “History will absolve me”
Fidel Castro first made local history when he and a band of young hotheads made a frontal assault on the heavily fortified Moncada Barracks in this city on July 26, 1953. He took the garrison by surprise and he nearly succeeded in capturing the fortress.
Granma (boat that sailed Castro’s guerrilla group from Yucatán to Cuba)
Was a yacht that transported Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, and other revolutionaries from Mexico to Cuba in 1956 to overthrow Fulgencio Batista’s regime.
Sierra Maestra- what happened there from 1956-59, and what political symbolism did the SM hold after that
The Sierra Maestra mountains in southeastern Cuba were the focal point of the Cuban Revolution from 1956 to 1959. The rugged terrain provided a base fro Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, and their revolutionary forces, known as the 26th of July Movement, to organize, strategize, and launch guerilla warfare against the U.S.-backed dictatorship of Fulgencia Batista. After the revolution, the Sierra Maestra became a powerful symbol of resistance, revolutionary struggle, and liberation.
Key steps in US-Cuba alienation after Castro took power (including nationalization of US companies)
Agrarian Reform Law (May 1959)
The Cuban government passed a law expropriating large landholdings, including these owned by U.S. sugar companies
Nationalization Begins (1959)
Key industries, including utilities and telecommunication companies (many owned by U.S. firms), were targeted for nationalization.
Massive Nationalizations
By August 1960, Castro’s government nationalized almost all major U.S.businesses in Cuba, including:
United Fruit Company
Texaco and Standard Oil
Cuban Electric Company
Economic Retaliation
The U.S. retaliated by reducing Cuba’s sugar quota under the Sugar Act, limiting its most crucial export to the American market
Bay of Pigs
The CIA, under President John F. Kennedy, orchestrated an invasion of Cuba by Cuban exiles to overthrow Castro
The invasion was a failure, further emboldening Castro and strengthening his ties with the Soviet Union.
Castro declared Cuba a socialist state and aligned fully with the Eastern Bloc.
Missile Crisis
The Soviet Union deployed nuclear missiles to Cuba, leading to the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962.
This confrontation brought the world to the brink of nuclear war and solidified Cuba’s role as a key Soviet ally in the Cold War.
Economic nationalism
(See key steps in US-Cuba alienation after Castro took power)
Comparative advantage
Raúl Prebsich & ECLA’s analysis (not advantage but dependency)
Disparity between prices for commodities and finished goods
Instability of commodity prices
Result: LA economies experience “dependency” on decisions made elsewhere
ISI
ISI was implemented through a campaign to nationalize small businesses and focus the economy on sugar production. The campaign began in 1968 and aimed to produce 10 million tons of sugar annually by 1970.
World System theory
Is an approach to world history and social change that suggests there is a world economic system in which some countries benefit while others are exploited.
Tumparo movement
What/Who were the Tumparos in Uruguay?
Leftist urban guerrilla organization founded in 1963. The group was named for Túpac Amaru II. The earliest Tupamaro efforts were a mixture of idealism, public relations, and theft, robbing banks and businesses and distributing food and goods to the poor.
What did their manual reveal for their use of women in urban environments?
Revealed that women were strategically deployed in urban settings for roles that capitalized on gender stereotypes:
Espionage and Intelligence Gathering
Logistics and support
Women organized safe houses, transported weapons, and managed communications.
Active combat roles
Some women participated in armed operations, including bank robberies, kidnappings, and sabotage.
Lecture National Security States, Brazil & the Southern Cone
How did the the Cold War impact US-Latin American relations after WWII?
The Cold War reshaped U.S.-Latin American relations as the United States sought to counter the spread of communism in its hemisphere. U.S. policies prioritized ideological alignment and economic cooperation while often overlooking democratic principles. This led to initiatives to strengthen regional alliances, promote economic development, and militarize Latin American governments in support of U.S. strategic goals.
Creation of the OAS
April 1948, Bogota, Colombia. The OAS became vehicle for U.S. influence, often supporting the U.S.-backed interventions and policies in Latin America
Features of the Alliance for Progress
Economic Aid: The U.S. pledged $20 billion in aid over ten years to improve infrastructure, education, health, and housing across Latin America.
Land Reform: Encouraged redistribution to address rural inequality and prevent radical peasant movements.
Industrialization: Promoted modernization and economic diversification to reduce dependence on single-export economies.
Democratic Governance: Linked aid to political reform and the adoption of democratic practices, although enforcement was inconsistent.
US training of LA security forces
Trained personnel were often involved in coups and human rights violations.
Militarization of Latin American states reinforced authoritarian regimes, with significant consequences for civil liberties and democratic governance.
What was bureaucratic-authoritarianism, and what doctrine was used to justify it?
A form of authoritarian rule prevalent in several Latin American countries during the Cold War.
Characteristics:
Dominance of the military and technocratic elites in governance.
Suppression of political participation, especially from labor unions and leftist groups.
Focus on economic stabilization and growth through neoliberal policies, often at the expense of social welfare.
Reliance on state coercion to maintain control, including censorship, torture, and forces disappearances
National Security Doctrine
Rooted in the U.S. Cold War strategy and taught in military training programs like those at the SOA.
Framed communism as an existential threat that justified suspending democratic norms to ensure “internal security”.
Encouraged militaries to view themselves as the guardians of national stability, leading to widespread repression of perceived subversive elements.
Argentina
Videla
Jorge Rafael Videla was an Argentine general who led the military junta that ruled Argentina from 1976 to 1981
He became de facto president after a coup overthrew Isavel Peron, marking the beginning of Argentina’s military dictatorship
Dirty War
A period of state terrorism in Argentina during which the military junta conducted widespread human rights abuses to eliminate political dissidents.
Key Features
Forced Disappearances
Torture Centers
Targeting of Families
Pregnant women were detained, and their babies were often taken and illegally adopted by military families
Suppression of Dissent
Madres de la Plaza de Mayo
A group of Argentine mothers who began protesting in 1977 in Buenos Aires to demand information about their disappeared children.
Their activism played a critical role in uncovering the truth about the disappeared and advocating for human rights in post-dictatorship Argentina.
Falklands (Malvinas) War
A 10 -week war between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic.
Chile
Political background to 1970
Chile’s political landscape before 1970 was characterized by a polarized three part system:
Left: Socialist and Communist parties advocating for land reform and workers’ rights.
Center: Christian Democrats promoting moderate reforms.
Right: Conservative parties aligned with the business elite and opposing radical change.
Allende electoral victory (by plurality, not majority)
Salvador Allende won the presidency in 1970 as the leader of the leftist coalition Unidad Popular.
He received 36.6% of the vote, a plurality but not a majority, requiring confirmation by the Chilean Congress.
Allende’s key aim?
Nationalization of key industries, including copper.
Land reform to redistribute large estates to peasants.
Expansion of social services, including education, healthcare and housing.
CIA intervention
The U.S. government, under Presidents Nixon and Ford, opposed Allende’s presidency, fearing the spread of socialism.
Pinochet
On September 11, 1973, General Augusto Pinochet led a military coup, overthrowing and killing Allende.
Pinochet established a brutal dictatorship:
Thousands of Allende supporters were killed, tortured, or disappeared.
Civil liberties were suspended, and political parties were banned.
Pinochet ruled until 1990
Victor Jara
A Chilean folk singer and activist who supported Allende.
After the coup, Jara was detained, tortured, and executed by the military, becoming a symbol of resistance and human rights.
“Chicago Boys” and Neoliberalism
A group of Chilean economists trained at the University of Chicago under Milton Friedman.
Advocated for neoliberal economic reforms under Pinochet
Augusto Cesar Sandino
A Nicaraguan revolutionary leader in the 1920s and 1930s who fought against U.S. military occupation.
His guerrilla resistance inspired later anti-imperialist movements, especially the sandinistas
Assassinated in 1934 by National Guard forces under the direction of Anastasio Somoza Garcia.
Somoza family’s rule
The Somoza dynasty controlled Nicaragua for over 40 years, combining authoritarian rule with personal enrichment.
Sandinista movement (FSLN)
Free Sandinista de Liberación Nacional: A Marxist revolutionary group inspired by Sandino’s legacy.
Overthrew the Somoza regime in 1979 after a lengthy guerrilla struggle
Reagan & contra war
The U.S., under President Ronald Reagan, opposed the Sandinista government, viewing it as a Soviet ally.
Funded and trained the Contras (counter revolutionaries)
Romero
The Archbishop of San Salvador, Romero was a vocal advocate for human rights and social justice during El Salvador’s civil war (1980-1992).
Assassinated in1980 while delivering Mass, likely by right-wing death squads.
Liberation Theology
Advocated for:
A “preferential option for the poor.”
Addressing systemic injustices and inequality through a combination of faith and political action.
Civil Wars in Central America
Roots of the leftist guerrilla movements in latifundia, U.S. presence in the 1920s-30s.
Large, landed estates owned by a small elite class, often worked by landless peasants under exploitative conditions.
U.S. Presence in the 1920s-30s
Economic Control
Military Interventions
Resistance
Los catorce in El Salvador
The catorce familias were a group of oligarchic elites who controlled most of the land in El Salvador.
FMLN
Named after Farabundo Marti, a leader of the 1932 indigenous and peasant uprising brutally suppressed by the military.
Formed in 1980 as a coalition of leftist guerrilla groups fighting against the U.S.-backed Salvadoran government during the country’s civil war.
Archbishop Romero’s siding with the poor informed by Liberation Theology
See Romero and Liberation Theology
Nicaragua
Somoza family
The Somozas, beginning with Anastasio Somoza Garcia, ruled Nicaragua as an authoritarian family dictatorship for over 40 years.
FSLN
Founded in 1961, inspired by Augusto Cesar Sandino’s anti-imperialist legacy.
Initially a guerrilla movement opposing the Somoza regime.
Overthrew the Somoza dictatorship in 1979, establishing a revolutionary government.