Latin American Questions
Simon Bolvar was a native of Venezuela but grew to become an international figure. He was credited with helping many Latin American nations gain independence. Simon Bolivar often maintained that he was a liberal, and indeed worked tirelessly to ensure that no person or nation continued to live under oppression. He abhorred oppressive regimes and argued for the cause of freedom for all. He was a supporter of revolutions such as the American Revolution, even though he was not able to agree to the USs attempts at expanding its rule in the Latin American region. He argued that oppressive regimes in the world would never last forever but would face revolts from the people.
Although he was a staunch supporter of the American Revolution, he was opposed to the way Americans oppressed people who worked for her as slaves. Simon Bolvar often argued that a Latin America under the occupation of Spanish colonialists would never see independence unless the people made a strong resolve to sacrifice greatly for libertys sake. His arguments for the need to have Latin American nations rise to the occasion and sacrifice for the sake of their nations got people thinking. He was a believer in not only freedom from physical oppression but also intellectual freedom, arguing that the Americans succeeded much because they were clever. His arguments for the need for liberation of people drew many people to him, with many volunteering to join him in his campaigns against occupation forces in Grenada, Haiti, and his native Venezuela.
2. What sort of rupture did independence provide for Latin America (and Latin Americans) What changed What remained the same Discuss the legacies of colonialism in the post-independence era, making sure to also include a discussion of the colonial period for comparison purposes.
Colonialism usually was a time in the history of the Americas when there was no freedom whatsoever on what to do and how to act. The powers that ruled over the region were solely responsible for all decisions the work of the people was to obey. Any failure to follow these usually oppressive laws was punishable. There was no freedom of choice for people but all matters were dictated by the rulers. These laws were not set by the citizen but the colonial masters who sought to have total control of everything in the nations where they ruled. In essence, Spanish law became the law of the land and the law that was in place was done away with. All movements of the people were monitored with a view to ensure that all came under control of the colonial masters.
Basic civil liberties were denied, including the right to offer opinion and the right to assemble. In fact there was a lot of crackdown on assemblies of people since the view was that it as in such assemblies that dissidence was bred. With the coming of independence, a lot of these yokes were lifted. The most notable freedom that came with independence was freedom to move and assemble without any fear, and the freedom to choose the form of leadership that people desired. The law of the land was what guided the way forward and the operations of the nations as opposed to foreign Spanish law that as dictatorial. The entire region, upon independence, became free to choose their way of governance. It was a matter of individual states choosing to operate as they saw it best and not being run corporately by one power.
3. The philosophy of Liberalism provided Latin America with the language of independence. For the vast majority of the population, however, this was a problematic philosophy at best. Discuss how it was that people like Angela Batallas (among others) were able to use liberalism to their advantage.
Liberalism is the form of existence or life where people, regardless of their race, skin color or any other factor, live free from any undue form of control over their activities and operations. It is a life that is totally free from controls except those put in place by the people themselves. Liberalism is seeking to free oneself from oppressive forces in which one finds oneself. Liberalism has its origin in the people themselves. It is the power of the people to decide what they want and how and when they want it. Liberalism is derived from the ability of the people to muster enough courage and prepare well enough to sacrifice and face the situation that is oppressing them.
It comes from a resolve and a will. It stems from a desire deep within people to see a society that is free from oppression, dictatorship, and all other forms of unjustifiable controls over their lives. The outcome of seeking to be free is the freedom that one will get. Although liberalism does not come free of charge but must be paid for, the price is worth paying because great benefits come with it. Liberalism brings about both physical and mental release, and sets one totally free. A freed person can plan for the future, can understand what is right, and can help others. However, a person living in slavery or confinement of any form is essentially under manipulation and cannot be of much value to society. Angela Batallas and other people, specifically those who had been enslaved, managed to use liberalism to their benefit. Although a slave, she insisted on being allowed to have audience with the liberator, the one who was regarded as the source of this kind of freedom, Simon Bolvar. This meeting inspired her and the others, and enhanced their fight for freedom.
4. Cuba presents an interesting counterpoint to the independence of the rest of Spanish America. Discuss the factors that contributed to Cuban independence and those that hindered the development of the movement. How was Cuban independence similar to other independence movements in Latin America How was it different
The independence of Cuba from the Spaniards was mainly as a result of the US discontent at the oppressive nature of the Spanish colonial masters. Apart from the commonly observed dictatorship, it emerged that the dissidents were being hurdled to Spanish-run concentration camps for torture and even annihilation. The resulting enmity between the US and Spain ensured that Cuba had a close ally and that its independence in the region would come much earlier than anticipated. The Cuban movement, unlike the independence movements in other Latin American nations, was not so much a military one. The movement used tactics such as destruction of property owned by the Spaniards, a factor that has been cited as having led to the invention of the dreaded concentration camps designed to punish those who failed to collaborate. Unlike in other countries, the movement was supported greatly by the United States in her war with Spain that ended only after Spain agreed to let go of the island nation. The other unique feature of the independent movement in Cuba is that it never really delivered full independence to the people but only a change f colonial master from Spain to the US.
5. What are the characteristics of neocolonialism in Latin America When and where do we see evidence of this condition What were the consequences Use specific examples to discuss the economic and ideological components of neocolonialism.
Neocolonialism as used in the sense of the Latin American context refers to the deliberate involvement of some nations that are usually more powerful in all, most, or some of the affairs of another nation which has less power to repulse the invader, or which is enticed by certain benefits. This involvement of foreign nations in the affairs of other countries is sometimes after the powerful country has been a past colonial power in the country and still exercises some form of control even after the official end of colonialism. Power structures in Latin America has entailed the tendency to have and authority vested in a given individual, group of people or country who then make all or most decisions on behalf of the remainder of the people.
Power structures in the region have been characterized by both outside governments imposing direct or indirect rule in the affairs of another country. In this instance, the US has been very much involved in the affairs of countries like Cuba, Colombia, Honduras, and Mexico. In other instances, powerful groups within a country are able to exercise power over the rest of the country or a section of it. In Cuba, the United States of America still exercises economic control by restricting capital flows to the country for its failure to adopt democratic rule. Britain still exercises control over countries in Latin America like Honduras through the reliance on the regions wealth. Raw materials, especially oil, have been a major driver of former colonial masters into these countries. The oil sector is dominated by British and American companies, leaving the locals dependent on them. The USs continued presence in the affairs of Venezuela is a notable, and only recently has this move been met with resistance from President Hugo Chavez.
6. The Cuban revolution had various consequences outside of Cuba, not all of them foreseen. Discuss the significance of the Cuban revolution for the rest of Latin America. What was the extent of its influence on social movements and government actions outside of Cuba What were the limitations of its influence
The desire for independence drove most Latin Americans to engage in revolutions not necessarily to inflict terror on anyone but an attempt to free themselves from the tentacles of colonialism that came with oppression. Although the Cuban revolution overthrew Batista, it was in the real sense an overthrow of the US. Having come much early in 1959, the Cuban Revolution made other Latin American nations that were under oppressive regimes to more than before seek to overthrow them. Another significance of the Revolution is that it greatly contributed to a reversal of US foreign policy in the Latin American region.
The US came to understand that its policies were not welcome as much in the region. When Fidel Castro ascended to power, his communist ideologies spread fairly rapidly to other nations in the region. Venezuela is especially a country whose anti-US policies were inspired during the Cuban revolution. The economic sanctions that were imposed on cub after the revolution played a big role in shaping the economy of the entire region. Reduced remittances from the US brought an economic lapse in Cuba and other countries. In retaliation to the sanctions, the export of oil from the region, especially from Venezuela, was cut or reduced, bringing about great economic losses. After the Cuban Revolution, there was a tendency by Castro to oppress the people. As a result, the neighboring states had to deal with a surging number of Cuban migrants. As a role model to dissident guerilla groups, the revolution caused a surge in guerilla activities and general rebellion against ruling powers. Student unrest in the region increased. Cuban influence outside was brought under check by the USs continued campaign of anticommunism and increased economic and military support for nations that were opposed to Cuban ideologies. Poverty resulted from such guerilla activities and most nations experienced economic inequalities among its people.
7. Discuss the Dirty War in Argentina. What was the legacy of the violence and how did the population deal with the terror that ensued
The Dirty War was a campaign of terror that was inflicted on the citizens of Argentina in the efforts by the then military rulers to crack down on guerilla fighters who were opposed to the rule off the military and were waging a campaign to have democratic governance instituted in the country. The campaign, however, did not entirely focus on the leftist guerillas alone but also on all those who were suspected to be their sympathizers. This military campaign was led by Rafael Videla, starting in 1976 and only coming to an end with the restoration of democratic governance in 1983. This campaign was characterized by illegal arrests of people by the police and the military, killing of innocent people, the mysterious and frequent disappearance of people, especially leaders of political movements opposed to the rule of the military junta, and the torture of people. The military junta did not care who was who, unless one was a supporter of their reign in power. By 1979, it was approximated that as many as 15000 people, including civilians, had either been killed, abducted, were missing, or had been tortured.
On the overall, it is believed that the terror campaign led to the death or disappearance of between 9,000 and 30,000 people. The actions of the army and the police had been sanction by the military leadership, declaring a war on the left-wing adherents in the country. The legacy of the Dirty War was in the manner the killings were done with a lot of impunity. It was no longer a secret what was happening, but any opposition meant and support for the left-wing guerillas and were met with brutal force. Latin Americans today are wary of terror. The memories of the events in Argentina are still fresh in their minds, and to them terror is one of the worst forms of human torture. Although the terror campaign was aimed at repressing the dissidence of the people, it actually enhanced their resolve to help bring to an end military rule and return to democratic rule. This is demonstrated by the election of a democratic government in 1982.
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