|
The various Spanish and Portuguese colonies evolved differently. Some had large Native Ameica populations. Others were primarily populated by European settlers. Some were populated by substantial shipments of African slaves. The Latin American countries have also developed differently economically. The Caribbean islands became valuable producers of sugar. The Native American population was exterinated and Blavk Africans imported as aslave work firce. The Native Amerixcan populations on the mainland were desimated by Europan diseases. The survivors became a basically fedudal work force. Many of the Latin American countries developed ecoomies centered on the export of raw materials and expeienced boom and bust economies. The cycles varied from country to country. Some have been more successful than others. None of the Latin American countries, however, have achieved the level of success of the two English colonies--Canada and the United States. Only one Latin America country has approached entering the developed world of Europe and North America. Argentina was close to doing this after World War II, but then Argentine society faltered. Latin American countries have proven particularly suspetable to the appeal of populist leaders using their popularity to create oppresive regimes.
Only one Latin America country has approached entering the developed world of Europe and North America. Argentina was close to doing this after World War II, but then Argentine society faltered.
Chile had an economy based at first on nitrates and then on copper. August Pinochet headed a military coup which seized power from popularly elected socialist president Salvador Allende (1973). The military was concerned that Allende was moving toward a Cuban-style communist regime. There is no real way of knowing now just where Allende was headed. For many, Pinochet's regime became the symbol of a brutal military dictatorship. The military killed about 3,000 people and tortured thousands more. Most of the worst abuses came in the first 3 years of the military government. Thousands of Chileans left the country, fearing arrest. One of those exiles, Orlando Letelier, was assasinated in Washington D.C. (1976). Pinochet is known to have eriched himself, stashing millions in foreign bank accounts. One of the actions taken by the Chiilean junta was to embrace free market economics. Pinochet also oversaw a transition to democracy. After losing a referendum, he stepped down (1990). As a result, Chile today has one of the strongest economies in Latin America. Copper is still important, but no longer dominates the economy. The Chilean ecomomy has diversified with mahor expansion in flowers, fruit, and fisheries. The Chilean economy in the 1990s and 2000s have grown at twice the regional average. The country has sharply reduced the povery level. Chile also now has a vibrant democracy with freely contested elections. Chileans elected Socialist Michelle Bachelet (2006). She was one of the indivuals that had been tortured during the era of military rule. Pinochet died a few months after Ms. Bachelet election victory. Pinochet is usually held by many in Latin America as the epitomy of misgovernment a dictaorial rule. One noted observer argues that right-wing rulers are less malign than Communist dictators because they are more likely to be followed by liberal decmocracies. [Kilpatrick]
Colombia since the end of World War II has been racked by "La Violencia" (The Violence). It has been a prolonged era of civil conflict which began as struhhle between Colombia's two main political parties--the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party. The conflict begn in 1948 with the assassination of Jorge Eliécer Gaitán. Large scale riots broke out in the capital, Bogota, and lesser disturbances in other cities. The resulting partisan conflict caused the deats of 0.2-0.3 million Colombians over the following decade. Elements of the Liberal Party and the Communist Party organized "self-defense" militia groups. Elements in the Conservative party did the same. Hit squads targeted leaders and their supporters. Conservative groups in particular targetted labor leaders. The different militias fought with the Colombian army and with each other with civilians often caught in between. General Gustavo Rojas Pinilla became president and declared an amnesty (1953). Many of the guerillas and militias accepted the amnnesty. Some did not and the viloence continued at a lower level. Rojas fell from power (1958). Civilian rule was finally restored (1958). Moderate Conservatives and Liberals, with the support of part of the military supported a bipartisan coalition--the National Front. The compromise reached was a system of where presidents alternated and the two parties sharied cabinet posts and important public offices.
Fiedel Castro after a 6-year guerrila war seized power from the corupt mob-linked military leader FulgencioBatista. Castro posed as a democratic leader seeking to restore constitutional rule in Cuba. It is unclear just what Castro's intentions were when he landed in Cuba to begin his revolution. It is clear, however, from Castro's behavior both before and after the revolution that Castro was ilsuited to be a democratic ruler. Soon after seizing power, Castro moved toward Communism and dictatorial rule. The result was to turn Cuba which had been relatively prosperous in Latin American terms into one of the poorest countries of the heisphere. While Fidel is adept at finding excuses, the principal reason is that Cuba prevent's individuals from persuing economic activities. While the rules have been relaxed somewhat, individuals are still prevented from worling indepedently. He has also proven successful in finding foreign patrons. For years, the Soviets bankrolled Cuba. More recently Fidel has obtained support from Venezuela's mercurial leader, Hugo Chavez. While Fidel has proven a failure at ecomomics, he has proven a remarkably successful dictator and publicists. As a result, Fidel is an icon throughout Latin America. This depite that under Castro more people have been executed and totuured and about 10 percent of the population has emigrated to the United States. To the very end of this nealy 50-year rule, Fiedel steadfastly refused to permit free speech and free elections. And despite this and the economic failure of Cuba, millions in Latin America find the Cuban model appealing.
Brazil is the most important country in Latin America. It is half oif outh America in both area and population. Unlike most other South american countries, Brazil was a Portuguese rather than a Spanish colony. And unlike most of the Spanish colonies, the NativecAmerican population did not become a labor class, but was largely exterminated. As a result, large numbers of Africans were imported as slave labor. This makes Brazil demographically different than much of the rest of Latin America, with the exception of the Caribbean.
Venezueela had since the 1960s a long history of democratic government. Those democratic governments failed to make real progress in building a vibrant modern economy. Rather the country lived off its oil wealth. The failure of the democratic governents brought Populist President Hugo Chávez to power. President Chávez is persuing what he calls the New Socialism in Venezuela. There does not seem to have been any real assessment as to why the policies of the democratic parties failed. Rather President Chávez has simply accepted basic Marxist doctrine that Capitalism is rapacious and that Socialism will provide a bright future. Such ideas despite the abject failure of Socialism around the world are still very popular at Latin American universities. President Chávez has not explained just what is new about his socialist policies. It appears to be a mixture of the same kind of policies that have failed in other Communist countries, an end to free elections and an independent judiciary, closing media that he cannot control, creating a police state, and nationalizing private industry. Venezuela unlike Cuba has large oil reserves to subsidize Chávez's program. Chavez believes his social reforms and state involvement in the economy will crreate a vibrant, growing economy. This has not worked in other countries. It seems unlikely to work in Venezuela. Venezuela's oil income and Chavez's control of the media and expanding police state as well as lavish social spending is likely to keep him in power for the forseeable future. The iron laws of economics, however, mean that Venezuela is headed for a very difficult future.
Kirkpatrick, Jean. "Dictatorships and Double Standards".
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Site:
[Return to the Main Latin American development page]
[Return to the Main Economics Page ]
[Introduction]
[Activities]
[Biographies]
[Chronology]
[Clothing styles]
[Countries]
[Essays]
[Bibliographies]
[Contributions]
[FAQs]
[Glossaries]
[Images]
[Links]
[Registration]
[Tools]
[Boys' Clothing Home]
