Lecture 10: Latin America after WWII: Politics, US Influence, and the Literary Boom Flashcards
Why did many Latin American countries such as Brazil and Argentina take a while to join the allies during WWII?
- Wanted to stay neutral for better market opportunities
- A lot of italian and german immigrants in these nations
- Shared right-wing ideologies among conservative elites
- Efforts to counterbalance US economic and political influence in the region
How did US intervene in Latin America during the cold war?
Organized many coups and military dictatorships under the guise of preventing the spread of communism
How did the Soviet Union intervene in Latin America during the Cold War?
Sent support to leftist governments and movements by provided military aid, economic support, and ideological backing
- however efforts to expand influence in the region were overshadowed by US dominance
Who was Jacobo Arbenz Guzman?
Became president through democratic processes in Guatemala in 1951 after dictatorship
What were Jacobo Arbenz Guzman’s policies?
Nationalizing key industries, agrarian reforms (redistribution of lands) and labour law (minimum wage, legalizing unions)
What was the United Fruit Company’s role in Guatemala’s 1954 coup d’etat?
UFCO was unhappy with Arbenz’s national policies as it threated their hegemonic power in the country
Lobbied the US government for intervention, which lead to a CIA backed coup d’etat (PBSUCCESS) to overthrow Arbenz
Installed a series of military dictatorships that support the UFCO interests
Where was the UFCO mainly established in Latin America?
Guatemala, Colombia, Honduras and Costa Rica
What was the school of americas (SOC)?
School to train latin american military, police and civilian officials
Begun in the Panama Canal region
What was the stated goal of the school of americas? Did it fulfill its goal?
To promote democratic values, human rights, and the rule of the law
During the Cold War, trained military to combat communism
In reality, it was often linked to human rights abuses, authoritarianism, and anti-democratic practices in Latin America
Who was Rafael Trujillos?
Dictator in Dominican Republic during the mid-20th century
- one of the most repressive regimes in Latin
What characterized Trujillos regime?
- Ethnic cleansing of Haitian peoples (Parsley Massacre)
- Infrastructure flourished but profits remained in the hands of Trujillos
What was the US’s stance on Trujillos?
Initially backed him up due to anti-communist stance. However, removed their support after multiple scandals.
Who was Victor Paz Estessoro?
President of Bolivia during the Bolivian revolution in 1952
What did Victor Paz Estessoro achieve?
Universal suffrage
Nationalization of tin mines
Agrarian reforms
Military reforms (weakened the traditional military, replacing it with worker and peasant militias)
What was a challenge that Bolivia faced during Estessoro’s presidency?
Economic challenges due to the dependency on tin exports and foreign aid
What was the Bracero program?
Program in 1924 to bring in Mexican workers into the US to respond to the shortage of workers in agriculture caused by conscription and influx of American workers into jobs in factories devoted to war effort
How did the US government screw over Mexican workers in the Bracero program?
Harsh working conditions
Largescale deportation (operation WetBack)
How did the Mexican government screw over Mexican workers in the Bracero program?
Retained 10% of money made under the pretense that it would be returned once they came back to Mexico (many never saw this money)
What type of literature emerges in the 20th century in Latin America?
Magic realism (ex. Gabriel Garcia Marquez – Colombia)
Political and social critique
Experimental narrative styles
Cultural identity
Why was there a literary boom in Latin America in the 20th century?
- High literacy and better access to education
- Development of interconnected book market
- Strong demand for “exotic” narratives in Western industrialized nations
