Security in Latin America Flashcards
1
Q
Political Influence of the LA Military
A
- Long tradition of involvement in national defense
- The contiment of political soldiers and military politicians
- important and decisive political actors
- An officer’s career is the most convenient way to the presidency
- 55 Peruvian presidents were soldiers
2
Q
Confidence in Army
A
- Traditionaly high confidence
- Priviliged positin
- Key role in the independence
- The end of the Cold War meant a decline in the importance of military
3
Q
Paraguyan War
A
- Also known as the War Triple Alliance
- Dispute over territory between Paraguay and Brasil, Paraguay held a strict and anti policy against the expansion of Brasil, which led the invasion of Brasil with the support of Argentina and Uruguay
- 1860
- Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay vs. Paraguay
- 280 000 of Paraguayans died
- 50% of the population
*90 % of its male population
4
Q
War of the Pacific (SALTPETER WAR)
A
- 1880
- Chile vs. Bolivia, Peru
- The war was triggered by a dispute over the ownership of the nitrate-rich territories of Atacama.
- Chile won
5
Q
Chaco War
A
- 1930s
- Bolivia vs Paraguay
- The Chaco War was caused by a long-standing dispute over the ownership of the Gran Chaco, a vast, arid region located between Bolivia and Paraguay. Both countries claimed the Chaco because it was believed to contain oil reserves.
- 100,000 to 150,000 casualties (mostly Bolivians)
6
Q
Football War
A
- Also the 100 hours war
- El Salvador vs Honduras
- A brief military conflict fought between El Salvador and Honduras in 1969. Existing tensions between the two countries coincided with rioting during a 1970 FIFA World Cup qualifier.
- Deeper meaning - Land reforms in Honduras and immigration and demographic problems in El Salvador.
- Ceasfire by OAS, Salvadorans withdrew
7
Q
Internal Enemies
A
- More important role
- Colonial regime: against ‘wild’ and rebelious indigenous leader
- century: against communism
- Civil wars: Guatemala (1960-1996) : 200,000 people dead.
8
Q
The Largest Armies in Latin America
A
- Brazil 334
-Colombia 295 - Mexico 277
- Venezuela 195
- Peru 78
- Argentina 77
9
Q
Dominance of the United States
A
- After the First World War the influence of European countries declined significantly
- Cold War: LA was the area of US influence
- 1947 Inter- American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (the Rio Pact)
- Hemispheric defense” doctrine: an attack against one is to be considered an attack against them all
- US dominance was reinforced
10
Q
United States and Military Interventions
A
- The destruction of communists, terrorists, or internal enemies of the states
- Tradition of political policing through military interventions
- Between 1890 and 2009 the US intervened 56 times in Latin America
- Cold War: Military juntas supported by USA, were the common heads of state and government in most countries of the region
- Crimes against humanity
11
Q
Cuban Revolution 1959
A
- Armed revolt conducted by Fidel Castro against the authoritarian government of Fulgencio Batista
- One of the most important events of the Cold War
- Substantial changes of idealogical boundaries
- Seriously disrupted the US sphere of influence in the Western hemisphere
- Created a mahor security threat for Washington
- Remarkable vitality - help of Soviet bloc countries
12
Q
Guerrilla Warfare
A
- Guerilla: type of violent non-state actor
Guerilla warfare: form of irregular warfare in which a small group of combatants use military tactics to fight a larger and less mobilise traditional military - the success of the guerrilla led by Fidel Castro is emblematic - symbolic
- Wave of sympathy among the Latin American left.
13
Q
Ernesto Che Guevara (1928-1967)
A
- Born in Rosario
- Doctor of medinie
- In december of 1956 Che Guevara traveled from Mexico to Cuba in order to defeat F. Batista
- Positions in the new government
- in 1965 - resigned all his positions
- 1965-66 - mission in Congo
- 1967 mission in Bolivia - death.
14
Q
CHE GUEVARA AS THE THEORIST OF
THE REVOLUTION
A
*many facets of Guevara’s life
* great intellectual, author of several books
* book Guerrilla Warfare (1961)
* The best form to defeat colonial powers is taking
up arms
* Where? In mountainous and rural regions
15
Q
EXPORT OF THE REVOLUTION: GUERRILLA
MOVEMENTS IN LATIN AMERICA
A
- Global repercussions
- Supporting guerilla insurgencies and national liberation movements in many countries
16
Q
Export of the revolution: Guerrilla movements in latin america
A
- People’s Revolutionary Army (ERP) - 1969-1978 (Argentina)
- Montoners - 1970 - 1979 (Argentina)
- Revolutionary Left Movement (MIR) - 1965 - 1987 - Chile
- Tupamaros (1967-1972)
- Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) - 1964 - 2016 - Colombia
- Shining Path (1980 - present) - Peru
- Sandinista National Liberation Front (1961-present) - Nicaragua
- Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) or Zapatistas ( 1994 - present) Mexico
17
Q
Types of Military dictatorships in Latin America
A
- Right-wing character
- Supporting elite and middle class interests and repressing enemies
- conservative ideaology of ‘national security’ and ‘defense of western values’
- Against the threat of communism or guerrilla movements
18
Q
Old-style dictatorship
A
- Long tradition of autocracy and dictatorship
- Long before the Cold War: Tyrannical regimes and dynastic dictatorships - sultanism
- Strongly supported by the US
- Nicargua: Somoza familty - 1993-1979
- Guatemala 1920s-1980s
- El Salvador - 1931 - 1979
- Dominican Republic : Rafael Trujillo 1930 -1961
- Hait: Duvalier 197- 1986
19
Q
Istitutionalised Military Regime
A
- More developed country
- Military Junta - collective government
- Came to power through a coup - reason was the inability of the government
- Intervention of the army in response of the political crisis
- Objective: bring stability
- Military coup in Brazil (1964)
- National security regimes
- Between 1964 and 1990 the military instiutions of eleven LA countries established long-term military-led governments
20
Q
LONG-TERM MILITARY-LED GOVERNMENTS
DURING THE COLD WAR
A
- Brazil (1964–1985)
- Ecuador (1964–1966, 1972–1978)
- Guatemala (1964–1985)
- Bolivia (1964–1970, 1971–1982)
- Argentina (1966–1973, 1976–1983)
- Peru (1968–1980)
- Panama (1968–1989)
- Honduras (1963–1966, 1972–1982)
- Chile (1973–1990)
- Uruguay (1973–1984)
21
Q
Violation of Huma Rights
A
- Persecution of political opponents
- Internal threat
- Dirty warfare (Argentina, Brazil, Chile) or genocide (Guatemala)
- Number of victims of military governments:
- Guatemala 1962-1994: 200,000 dead and missing
- El Salvador -1980-1991: 75,000 dead and missing
- Argentina 1975-1983: 30,000 dead and missing
- Chile 1973-1990 : more than 3.197 dead and missing
22
Q
The Military in Democratic Latin America
A
- Late 1980s and the mid 1990s elected democratic rule was re-established
- All dictatorial military regimes had been succeeded by elected civilian governments
- immunity for military regime officials (part of the democratic transition process)
- democratic transitions consdierably diminshed the political influence of the armed forces
- molitary spending dropped significantly
- Today: the greates influence in Cuba and Venezuela
23
Q
Guerrilla Movements in Democratic Latin America
A
- Guerrilla Movements had been re-integrated in society (exception FARC)
- Former guerrillas leaders became top politicians
- Jose Mujica - ex Tupamaro, President of Uruguay, 2010-2015
24
Q
Current situation
A
*Guerilla organizations are now significantly active only in Colombia (FARC) and Chiapas, Mexico (EZLN)
* Latin America is the most violent place in the world! Contributing factors:
- High levels of social inequality
-poverty
-high unemployment rates
-rapid growth of large cities and metropolitan areas
-lack of infrastructure, basic social service
-growing availability of arms and drugs
-poor public education system
-culture of violence
25
Q
Poverty Rates in South America
A
- Venezuela - 65%
- Argentina -37%
- Bolivia 37.5%
- French Guyana - 53%
26
Q
Current Situation
A
- One in four Latin Americans was assaulted and robbed in 2018
- The Latin American region : 37% of the world’s murders (9% of global population)
- 2.5 million murders between 2000 and 2017
- Global level homicide rate at 6.1 per 100,000 inhabitants
27
Q
Top 10 Most Violent Cities in the World
A
- San Pedro Sula - Honduras
- Caracas - Venezuela
- Acapulco - Mexico
- Joao pessoa - Brazil
- Distrito Central - Honduras
- Meceio - Brazil
- Valencia - Venezuela
- Cali - Colonbia
- Fortaleza - Brazil
- Sao luis - Brazil
