Figure 1.--This is a Red Cross refugee center in San Salvador, the Salvadoran capital in 1969. This was an early stage of the Central Americam crisis in 1969. |
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The United States has been criticized for causing the Central American problem. We saw this during the Cold war and see it again during the southern border crisis (2018-19). But this simplistic narrative common in left-wing circles ignores the four centuries of Spanish colonial rule. But this simplistic narrative common in left-wing circles ignores the three centuries of Spanish colonial rule (16th-18th centuries) and independence era when Spanish colonial society remained important (19th century). It is true that the United States has been involved in various ways in these countries, especially in the 20th century. The problem with this assessment is that developments in Central America is not unlike developments in South America, a much larger, area in which American influence had been minimal Not only was American involvement minimal, but they were much larger countries, more difficult to influence than the small central American countries. Yet the problems in Central America were not unique, they were endemic throughout Latin America, clearly related to the the long era of Spanish control. A good example is Ecuadorean author Jorge Icaza's novel Huasipungo (1934) about the indigenous campesinos. Icaza does not talk about venal norteamericanos and evil capitalism he talks about the cultural and economic system created by the Spanish. Clearly the predominate influence was Spanish and Portuguese colonial rule. If the United States was the cause, than the problems of Central America would be different, but the problems are remarkably similar throughout Latin America, meaning it is the Spanish colonial influence that is the major issue. Notice that there is a new issue now being spoken of -- Femicide. It is not a new probklem, it is only now being diuscussed. But again this is an issue thatbhas bothing to do with the United States. It is the resulted of Latin america's deep seeded Spamish colonial culture--in tyhis instance machismo. But left-wing acafemics anf the mainstream media media cintinue to blame the problems of the region on the United States.
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