Latin American Civilization Blogs

Jacob Smithson

Professor Soland

WH 130

21 November 2019

The Cold War and Latin America

The end of World War II led to the United States becoming the World’s leading superpower in terms of economic prowess as well as military might but also led to ideological struggles between Capitalist and Communist beliefs which resulted in what is called The Cold War. Because of the United States’ Capitalist beliefs and their disdain towards communism at the time, the United States government wanted to incorporate all capitalist economies throughout the world in order to further strengthen the idea that capitalism was the only way world economics should be done. Additionally, in the process, the United States wanted to assist Latin American armies by professionalizing them as a means of strengthening Democracy around the world. This professionalizing of armies throughout Latin America was part of a new doctrine called the Doctrine of National Security which aimed to strengthen Democratic values within the region so as to prevent the spread of Communism. Other things that came with this doctrine included attempts to cut down on rebellions as well as the killing or capture of subversives which were thought by the US and Latin America to result in the spreading of Communism.

Throughout Latin America, rapid political change was occurring that resulted in many different outcomes in many countries. Specifically, in Chile due to their atypical status as compared to other Latin American countries with their ability to maintain a stable government after their declared independence, the country was forced into political change in 1973 by their military when the constitutional president (at the time) Salvador Allende was unseated. This resulted in terror spreading throughout the nation as well as, “political and social polarization”. Additionally, Argentina underwent a similar rapid political change as a military coup removed their president Maria Estela Martinez de Peron which also led to rapid political change throughout the region. What Argentina and Chile have in common can also be found within other Latin American Regions as well where, due to military control, political figures were removed from office all throughout Latin America. This led to the public becoming fearful of the military’s power and as a result, different political leaders coming into office. Under the watch of the United States however, certain political leaders would continue to be removed from office for fear of them spreading communist ideologies through the region.

Finally, this continued political and military stress forced on the public led to different communities and individuals making an attempt to fight the election of communist leaders throughout the entirety of Latin America. In specific, in Argentina there was a group of mothers that protested outside of government buildings in an attempt to determine what had happened to their sons and although they were continually ridiculed and heavily persecuted, they persisted. This group was known as Las Madres de Plaza de Mayo. This group was a staple in defending Argentinian democratic values and is a great example of how the fight against communism took place throughout Latin America. The majority of the time, communism was stopped from spreading by small groups such as this rather than through political means. Additionally, National goals were achieved through this fight against communism through means of strengthening Democratic values and as a result, building more infrastructure, supporting the economies of the region, increasing production of goods, and many other means of gaining public favor. It is because of the inevitable success of persistent individuals and groups as well as the overall strengthening of the politics and economies of Latin America that communities were united and ideologies such as communism ended up failing.

Jacob Smithson

Professor Soland

WH 130

14 November 2019

Latin America and Populism during and after World War II

Prior to World War I and World War II, the Great Depression had hit the significant majority of the world as it was a result of the global economic market collapsing. It is partially because of this major change in world economics that tensions were high among many nations but is a direct result of Import Substitution Industrialization. Import Substitution Industrialization is where a country that used to rely on imports from another nation could no longer import certain items and was therefore put into a position where the only option was to produce their own goods that could no longer be imported. Latin American countries that this had a positive impact on include Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay. Due to the large populations of countries such as Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina, the idea of Import Substitution was a great prospect as it eventually led to these nations rethinking their whole import-export system as a way of functioning economically. In contrast however, countries with smaller populations such as Ecuador, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Honduras, Paraguay, and the Dominican Republic did not thrive under this new economic system as they were unable to produce the goods they needed at the same level as their Latin American neighbors. The idea of Import Substitution Industrialization not prospering in these countries eventually helped to strengthen the idea of populism wherein those running for government office would support the average person who felt as though they were ignored by the elite within the government. This becomes important during and after World War II due to the political environment created by the war and the after that resulted. 

Specifically, during the 1920’s and 30’s, world governments began experimenting with different “nationalistic” policies. Mexico was no exception to this new way of world politics as the region began to form (once again) their own distinct national identity. World War II affected Mexico in a positive way as they initially joined the allies for the war and supported their position through the use of media, film, and radio which helped contribute to the unification of the Mexican population and allowed the use of a propaganda campaign that, “Incorporated economic production, political democracy, and national identity to varying degrees” (cite this). One way in specific that World War II helped Mexico was through trade with the US where the Office of Inter-American Affairs assisted with both sides’ economies. Additionally, during World War II, the United States hope to gain a good trade partner for the duration of and future after the war but German agents throughout Mexico and German propaganda created divisions between the population in conjunction with the US presence and propaganda within the region. 

All of the events that occurred economically and politically eventually resulted in populism spreading throughout the entirety of Latin America which caused confusion among American government after the war as populism was seen as closely related to communism by the American public due to its similar opinions on the work forces and common people throughout the nations. Specifically, Victor Raul Hoya de la Torre from Peru, Jose Maria Velasco Ibarra from Ecuador, Jorge Eliecer Gaitan from Columbia, Lazaro Cardenas from Mexico, Getulio Vargas from Brazil, and Evita and Juan Peron within Argentina were Latin American leaders that based their campaigns on the principles of populism and were seen as the beginning of a communist threat to those within the United States, furthering tensions between Latin America and the United States after the war.

Works Cited

Rankin, Monica A. ¡México, La Patria!: Propaganda and Production during World War II. University of Nebraska Press, 2010.

Jacob Smithson

WH 130

Professor Soland

7 November 2019

Sociological changes throughout Latin America in the Colonial Period through the 19th Century

Much like other nations throughout the course of their history, Latin America experienced numerous changes within its Colonial period and through the nineteenth century. The most prominent sociological changes to occur however were pertaining to slavery, religion, and race. This is not dissimilar to the rest of the world within this time period, however, in Brazil the idea of a mixing of the races was one of great contentions where some viewed the many different races such as Africans, Europeans, Mestizos, and others as equals while other citizens within the region viewed some as lower class individuals based on their occupations and histories. For example, a Brazillian intellectual and literary critic named Silvio Romero stated, “We are a country of mixed blood …. We are mestizos if not in our blood at least in our soul,” (Romero qtd. In Schwarczs). In saying this, Romero simultaneously displays his disdain in the mixing of races and his pride in the people of his country. It is mostly due to the change being brought upon the region that the great variety of mixed opinions was as prominent as it was as well as the political environment at the time. Additionally, due to the general mindset of the people within the region at the time, the mixing of the races was considered, “Chaos,” (Schwarczs). Furthermore, due to the varying occupations of those within different categories of race throughout Latin America, varying opinions were formed based on stereotypes that came with one being a certain race and those that were classified by the upper class citizens to be lower class typically was a result of lower income and by extension, race. This therefore resulted in further tensions between different cultural groups. 

Furthermore, the different geographical areas that separated groups of people resulted in those living in the city being seen as more civilized and sophisticated whereas those that lived on the outskirts being seen as less civilized. This is shown in Latin American in the Mid-Nineteenth Century when the author states that, “The people who inhabit these extensive districts belong to two different races, the Spanish and the Native,” (1). By stating this, the author shows the general perspective of those within the area at this point in time by displaying that those who are seen by the general public as being less civilized were synonymous with being a different race than those that were viewed to be higher class and more civilized. All of the above however is in contrast to the end of the nineteenth century where rather than race, things such as “the patriarchy” and “public health” became the public’s main concern. With this drastic change in the public’s interest, issues such as race and religion fell by the wayside and were therefore no longer seen as such contentious issues. This is due to the simple fact that once the public was able to unite as one and start seeing another person’s issue as their own, they were able to advance the agenda of more important things such as those listed above. This large change mostly due to the fact that, “an overwhelmingly agricultural society began to transform into a predominantly urban one,” (JPM Public Health). And as a result of this rapidly modernizing society, more important issues began to take precedence in the public eye.

Works Cited

Mooney, Jadwiga E. Pieper. The Politics of Motherhood: Maternity and Womens Rights in Twentieth-Century Chile. University of Pittsburgh Press, 2009.

Schwarcz, Lilia Moritz. The Spectacle of the Races: Scientists, Institutions, and the Race Question in Brazil, 1870-1930. Hill and Wang, 1999.

(Unable to find Latin American Society in the Mid-Nineteenth Century information)

Jacob Smithson

WH 140

Professor Soland

1 November 2019

Blog Three

After the Independence movements within what was then called “Spanish America”, the regions it once encompassed were granted their own identity to a certain extent. The regions began to be recognized as “Latin America” or “Hispanic America”. However, as was apparent once the regions had taken their independence from Spain, no individual identity in specific existed for the countries within it. This is made clear in the article by Jose Marti when he makes the claim that In order for Latin Americans to preserve their own identity, the need to become more independent and rely less on models provided to them by Europe and the United States. Marti’s main purpose within his article is to make it widespread knowledge that self identification comes from one’s own belief in themselves and their origin and should not come from other people or places. This is reflected in the beliefs of Mexican and Guatemalan revolutionaries as they were part of the few that deeply longed for a unique identity that did not revolve around those in Western Europe or the United States. Additionally, Brazil at this time was having somewhat of an Identity crisis where latin identity represented, “conservatism, anti-liberalism, anti-republicanism, Catholicism and, not least, ties to Europe – that is to say, to France and Spain,” (Bethell). This idea that Brazil did not have its own identity at the time stems from the popularity of mimicking French and European social, political, and religious ideas within the region. In addition to Brazil and Latin America not developing their own national identities, Brazil further distanced itself from Latin America based on what they believe separated them from the region. This came mainly in the form of differences in geography and history in relation to Spain and France although Brazil had shared commonalities with Latin America such as Iberian and Catholic backgrounds. 

It was known by the likes of Jose Marti and others that in order for Latin America to become a truly independent region that the development of an original national identity which did not mimic other countries was needed. However, with the interference of the CIA based in the United States with the politics of Cuba and Guatemala (specifically the Bay of Pigs and other interferences that resulted from the Cold War and tensions with Russia), as well as Spanish interference with other Latin American countries, it became clear to Latin America that their true independence was going to be yet another struggle for years to come. This is especially true for Mexico where The United States annexed Texas, took much of California, and began to occupy New Mexico and other South Western regions of the United States that allow it to have the geography it does today. Much like the Independence movements in the early 1800’s, there was still opposition to the independence of the regions and foreign powers would continue to make attempts at forcing the areas to remain dependent on other international super powers. With the idea of “Euro-centrism” dominating the regions of Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and other Latin American countries, the much needed self identification of those countries fell behind. As is the case with Eurocentrism, the identities of most regions within Hispanic America/ Latin America were based on Western European or American social standards, ideas, religious beliefs, and political ideologies.

Works Cited

Bethell, Leslie. “Brazil and ‘Latin America’.” Journal of Latin American Studies, vol. 42, no. 3, Aug. 2010, pp. 457–485., http://www.jstor.org/stable/40984892.

Jacob Smithson

WH 130-741

Professor Pete Soland

24 October 2019

Economic Expansion in Mexico and other parts of Latin America

Throughout the late 19th and early 20th century, global economic expansion was occurring which drastically affected the entirety of the world. In particular however, the key players in the game of the Industrial Revolution included Europe, The United States, and Latin America. The Industrial Revolution began in Europe, quickly found its way to The United States, and soon after landed in Latin America. Pre-Columbian Natives utilized technology such as telegraphs, trains, steam engines, dams, and countless others in order to shape their new environment. Specifically however, Pre-Columbian Natives utilized “Aniego” which is a form of farming that makes use of natural flooding that occurs in certain regions in order to produce larger quantities of cotton which contributed greatly to The United States’ and Latin America’s economic expansion. As stated in Watering the Revolution, “The irrigation ecology created by practicing aniego in the Laguna included oases of vegetation that attracted flocks of aquatic birds,” (35). Through manipulating their environment the way they did, Pre-Columbian Natives were able to effectively alter their environment which in turn allowed them to better understand their world. 

Additionally, during the 19th and 20th centuries (as mentioned above), technology played an integral role in shaping the landscape during the Industrial Revolution for all parties involved. An example of this is a better form of communication for everyone around the globe in the form of the telegraph. This is best summarized by the author of Born in Blood & Fire when he states, “New technology transformed Latin America’s hazardous, unpredictable, and expensive communications with the rest of the world,” (Chasteen 163). In specific, change that occurred due to the European Conquest of the area as well as Colonialism includes instantaneous communication with far regions of the world such as Brazil due to a cable laid across the Atlantic Ocean as a means of communication with the west, new infrastructure such as dams in order to further increase agricultural economic expansion in Mexico, train tracks in order to allow the rapid import and export of crops and other goods to and from the United States and Mexico, and the integration of new laws and regulations regarding several aspects of the time (water, politics, etc). These changes allowed for rapid economic and environmental change the likes of which had never before been seen or thought of in that region of the world. During this time as well, The United States saw fit to annex certain regions of (what was then) Mexico by capturing and inhabiting the areas that are now known as California, Texas, New Mexico, and others throughout the American Southwest. This, in coordination with other aspects of the Industrial Revolution, changed the environment for Mexicans up to and including the present day. Furthermore, through the utilization of these new technologies, the world began to connect and new philosophies, politics, and religions were brought to regions such as Mexico and Latin America that had never been there before. 

Next, the use of environment and technology is greatly stressed in Watering the Revolution where the importance of agriculture is explained and is the reason for new constructions and laws regarding water which in turn contributed to the shaping of the environment. For example, it is stated that, “After independence, the Mexican state began gradually began compiling more precise geographical and scientific data throughout the country,” (27). If it were not for the onset of the Industrial Revolution, the European Conquest, and the desire for more economic expansion in the area, this geographical survey would not have taken place. However, it is because of this desire from those within the region to expand economically and be part of the Industrial Revolution that new regulations pertaining to many aspects of modern life were drafted. In particular however, laws regarding water were created in order to control waterways and as stated in Watering the Revolution, Mexican water law was passed that, “Greatly expanded federal authority over far more than the 1888 law…” (51). 

Finally, in the wake of the abundance of new technology that was available during this time, it is only fitting that political discussion were to take place regarding the technology and the environment as well as how they are interconnected. The previous example of Mexican water laws being passed is a perfect example of how this new environment and technology was to define the landscape politically, geographically, and technologically for the present day as well as the future.

Works Cited

Chasteen, John Charles. Born in Blood and Fire: a Concise History of Latin America. W.W. Norton & Company, 2016.

Wolfe, Mikael D. “Watering the Revolution.” River of Revolution, Duke University Press Books, 2017, pp. 13–51.

Jacob Smithson

WH 130

Professor Pete Soland

17 October 2019

Latin America: Definition of the Region and Possible Distinctions

The terms Latin America and Latin American are used frequently within Latin American Civilization as a course as well as Born in Blood and Fire: A Concise History of Latin America but little explanation exists for what these terms mean specifically as the closest explanation that is given is, “The region of Latin America (that) includes Central American countries such as Guatemala, Panama, and Nicaragua, as well as South American states such as Brazil, Columbia, and Argentina” (Strada 151). In the modern day, Latin American countries and territories are considered to be places like Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and many others (Latin American Network Information Center) due to their geographic location as well as the commonalities in the spoken languages. In order to understand why these places are considered Latin American however, one must first look to make sense of the importance of the phrase “Latin American”.

Although “Latin America” is used as a cohesive term for nearly all countries that have mostly three common languages (Spanish, Portugese, and French), it is not accurate to categorize the region with a broad descriptor such as “Latin America” as the people enveloped in each region of the broad expanse of “Latin America” come from different histories, different nations, and many different cultures. The reason this is an inaccurate way to identify the people in the area however is because they are much more likely to claim to be “Ecuadorian”  (if they were from Ecuador) before they claim to be “Latin American”. Small differences such as these may begin to uncover why one should no longer use the catch all term “Latin American” when describing someone from the region or “Latin America” to describe the region itself. 

To further explain why the distinction should be made between the regions within “Latin America”, it is important to understand that although some might consider “Latin American” or “Latino” race, it is best explained by Patrick Wolfe when he states that, “There are no grounds for assuming that such striking disparities can be reconciled under a single master category called race” (Wolfe 867). This is important to distinguish because oftentimes when a group of people is seen as dramatically different by a separate group, they are often categorized together which is the case when it comes to “Latin Americans”.

If one were to stop clustering the populations of the region all together, there would need to be a better way to differentiate between them however. One such way to distinguish “Latin Americans” from each other may potentially be by making use of the differences in languages spoken. For example, one may categorize the populations based on whether the majority speaks Portugese, French, Spanish, or another language. What these new groups may be called however is something that would continue to be up for debate by those that live within the region that is to be renamed. 

In spite of the above, there are many shared characteristics between the countries and territories that enable the people within to identify themselves as “Latin American”. For example, in the modern day the people of the region may consider themselves to be part of a larger group that envelopes the entirety of what we call “Latin America” in the event of political distress, war, or natural disaster. This is seen specifically in the situation of Venezuela which is currently in a politically tense climate where, “Venezuela’s neighbor, Colombia, confronts the double challenge of being the country most impacted by the flow of Venezuelan refugees and arms,” (Ellis 30). In this situation, the populations of Venezuela and Columbia may view themselves as part of something larger than just their own countries but instead see themselves as “Latin Americans”.

In summary, although the region of Latin America is seen as one by those that don’t live within it, the area is much more complex than most believe it to be. The most effective way to categorize the region would be to allow those that populate it to distinguish themselves and from the past to the modern day it appears that if a change were to be made to the distinction the nation would receive, it would have already occurred and Latin America will be around for much longer. Additionally, because of the socio-political climate surrounding countries like Venezuela, other countries in the region may allow themselves to be led by example by the likes of Columbia in terms of uniting as one by assisting neighboring countries in order for progress to continue. 

Works Cited

Ellis, Evan R. “The Collapse of Venezuela and Its Impact on the Region.” Military Review, July 2017.

“Latin American Network Information Center.” Countries in Latin America & the Caribbean, The University of Texas at Austin, http://lanic.utexas.edu/subject/countries/.

Strada, Michael J. Through the Global Lens: an Introduction to the Social Sciences. Routledge, 2016.

Wolfe, Patrick. “Land, Labor, and Difference: Elementary Structures of Race.” American Historical Review, vol. 106, no. 3, June 2001, pp. 866–905., doi:10.2307/2692330.