Latin America: Revolution and Reaction

into the 21st Century

Chapter Summary: The fact that Latin America separated from its colonizers very early in
world history compared to other European colonies in Asia and Africa, and the fact that it
struggled to lessen dependence on the world economy and to find distinct political and cultural
forms instead of fighting for independence like its Asian and African counterparts puts Latin
America into a distinct category. Although Latin America put emphasis on agriculture and
mineral production, industrialization took place, and as a result, workers unions grew stronger
and gained influence in politics, as did the newly formed middle class.

Latin America After World War II

Political patterns shifted from time to time between maintaining the status quo and economic
crisis. Although Latin American philosophy stressed revolutionary change during the 20th
century, it was difficult for revolutionaries to persuade an entire population and revolutions did
not take place after 1945. Latin American education, social services, and the role of women
changed as many areas of Latin American life improved.

Mexico and the PRI

From 1940 until 2000, Mexico remained controlled by the Party of the Institutionalized
Revolution (PRI), which incorporated labor, peasant, military, and middle-class sectors in the
earth 20th century. Corruption and repression were present for several decades, and although the
government instituted NAFTA with the United States, it feared decline in the economy and a
country that would fall apart. In 2000, the PRI political monopoly was ended when a new
political party, the National Action Party (PAN), led by Vicente Fox, who promised to clean up
corruption and improve conditions for Mexican workers in the US, gained power.

Radical Options in the 1950s

The populist authoritarian regimes in Argentina and Brazil was one solution to the growing
interest in improving social and economic conditions, and there were many other solutions, and
that was the one question that remained unanswered throughout the region. Democratic reform
and Marxist socialism, both primary options, were feared because of the fear of response from
the two superpowers. Failure of social and economic development sometimes led to radical
revolutionary options, which were successful at first, but fear of moving too far left towards the
political spectrum led to subsequent governments being more interested in maintaining order.

Guatemala: Reform and U.S. Intervention

A first radical solution was tried in Guatemala, a predominantly Indian nation suffering from
illiteracy, poor health conditions, and high mortality rates. The economy depended upon the
export of coffee and bananas. Juan Jose Arevalo, who instituted land reform through a new
constitution, came into direct conflict with the United Fruit Company, which operated inside
Guatemala. After Colonel Jacobo Arbenz was elected, a more radical nationalist government was
put in place. When plans to expropriate United Fruit lands were announced, the Cold War
government of the United States intervened by taking down the radical Arbenz government and
putting a pro-U.S. government with minimal reform, leaving Guatemala still very poor.

The Cuban Revolution: Socialism in the Caribbean

Cuba, a country with a fairly stable economy based on sugar and a middle class in its capital,
Havana , but dependent on the world economy with a very poor rural class, needed reform.
Although Fulgencio Batista instituted a democratic constitution and promised major changes,
corruption within the government led to opposition. Fidel Castro, a leftist lawyer, fled Cuba after
trial and formed an army with Ernesto Che Guevara, an Argentinian revolutionary, to invade
Cuba and take down Batistas government. After Castro became radical, the United States
stopped supporting him. What happened next is debatable as we dont know whether or not
Castro was already Marxist-Leninist, or he made pragmatic choices for reform in the name of
improving Cuba. Castro launched sweeping change reforms, expropriating private property,
collectivizing agriculture, and putting a centralized socialist economy in place. Because of this,
the United States became very hostile towards Cuba, while the Cold War context gave Cuba a
very supportive ally, the Soviet Union. Several attempts to switch to an industrial economy
failed, and Cuba continued to rely on sugar and the world economy for income. After the prices
of sugar declined and petroleum rose, the Soviet Union had to help Cuba by buying sugar at
somewhat high prices and selling petroleum at very low prices. Because the Soviet Union failed,
the future of Cuba remained uncertain as it was one of the three isolated communist states in the
world. However, Cubas communist revolutionary model served as an example for other Latin
American countries seeking economic and social reform.

The Search for Reform and the Military Option

After the revolutionary attempts of Latin American countries in the 1950s failed, people
continued to try to overcome the disadvantage of Latin American economies created by their
dependence on the world economy. Political stability was an option, like the PRI in Mexico, but
the church was another option favored by many other countries. In the 1960s and the 1970s,
governments created new bureaucratic authoritarian regimes. By the 1980s, a new wave of
democratic regimes was emerging, based on liberation theology, which is combined Catholic
theology and socialist principles to bring improved conditions for the poor.

Out of the Barracks: Soldiers Take Power

The success of the Cuban communist movement made many Latin American militaries, now
professionalized with technical training and organizational skills, uneasy. The militaries believed
that they were best equipped to solve their nations problems, even if it meant to sacrifice the
democratic process. As a result, in the 1960s, the militaries of Latin American countries took
down socialist revolutionary governments with support of the United States and imposed
bureaucratic authoritarian governments, which emphasized nationalism, improving
industrialization and reducing inflation, but increasing inequality within the social structure.

The New Democratic Trends

The militaries of the Latin American countries started to return government to the civilians after
they realized that their solutions were no more destined than those of civilian governments. In
addition, economic and social problems wore heavily on the military leaders. Redemocratization
was not easy as socialist movements tried to stop democratic elections and radical leaders tried to
establish Marxist governments. Nevertheless, democracies became well established throughout
Latin America, although other problems like dissatisfaction with NAFTA existed.

The United States and Latin America: Continuing Presence

Societies in Search of Change

Slow Change in Womens Roles

The Movement of People

Cultural Reflections of Despair and Hope