Latin America 1945–Present Key Events As you read this chapter, look for the key events in the history of Latin American nations. • Many Latin American nations have experienced severe economic problems, and their governments have been led by military dictators. • Successful Marxist revolutions in Cuba and Nicaragua fed fears in the United States about the spread of communism in the Americas. The Impact Today The events that occurred during this time period still impact our lives today. • Latin American influence in the United States can be seen in art, music, literature, and foods. • Rapid and unplanned industrial development in some Latin American countries has led to heightened concern about the environment. World History Video The Chapter 29 video, “The Cuban Revolution,” chronicles the causes and effects of Castro’s revolution in Cuba. Juan Perón 1952 Juan Perón elected to 1962 second term 1961 Cuban as president of Bay of Pigs missile crisis Argentina invasion fails resolved 19401950 1960 1946 1948 1959 Juan Perón Organization Fidel Castro establishes of American seizes power authoritarian States formed in Cuba regime in Argentina 898 Art or Photo here Sugarloaf Mountain overlooks Rio de Janeiro, one of Brazil’s most populous cities. Ché Guevara 1990 HISTORY 1967 Violeta Barrios de Ché Guevara Chamorro elected dies in Bolivia president of Nicaragua Chapter Overview Visit the Glencoe World History Web site at 1970 1980 1990 2000 tx.wh.glencoe.com and click on Chapter 29–Chapter Overview to preview chapter information. 1989 2000 United States Vicente Fox invades Panama becomes Arrest of Panamanian president of leader Manuel Noriega Mexico 899 A victorious Fidel Castro rides through the streets of Havana in 1959. The Castro Brothers n July 26, 1953, two brothers, Fidel and Raúl Castro, led a band of 165 young people in an attack on the Moncada Oarmy camp at Santiago de Why It Matters Cuba. While a law student Gulf of Florida Since 1945, the nations of Latin Mexico at the University of Havana, America have followed different Santiago Havana Fidel Castro had become a de Cuba paths of change. In some countries revolutionary. He was deter- CUBA military dictators have maintained mined to overthrow the gov- political stability and initiated eco- MEXICO nomic changes. A few nations, like ernment of Fulgencio Batista, Caribbean Sea the dictator of Cuba. Cuba, have used Marxist revolutions The attack on Moncada, however, was a disaster. Many of to create a new political, economic, the troops led by the Castro brothers were killed, wounded, and social order. Many Latin Ameri- can nations have struggled to build or arrested. Fidel and Raúl Castro escaped but were later democratic systems, especially since captured and sentenced to prison for 15 years. the late 1980s. The Cold War has The Castro brothers could easily have died in prison, where also had an impact on Latin America. political prisoners were routinely tortured. Instead, they were released after 11 months. By freeing political prisoners, Batista History and You As you read hoped to win the favor of the Cuban people. this chapter, document the struggle He certainly did not gain the favor of the Castros. After his between democracy and dictator- release, Fidel Castro fled to Mexico and built a new revolu- ship in the Latin American states. tionary army. Six years later, on January 1, 1959, Fidel Castro Make a chart or diagram comparing and his forces finally seized control of Cuba. Hundreds of the different states, their leadership, thousands of Cubans swept into the streets, overcome with and reasons why the regimes were joy. One person remarked, “We were walking on a cloud.” able to gain power. To the many Latin Americans who wanted major social and economic changes, Castro soon became a source of hope. 900 General Trends in Latin America Guide to Reading Main Ideas People to Identify Reading Strategy • Exporting raw materials and importing Gabriel García Márquez, Oscar Niemeyer Categorizing Information Use a chart manufactured goods has led to eco- like the one below to identify social and nomic and political troubles for Latin Places to Locate political challenges in Latin America since American nations. Chile, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia 1945. • Many Latin American nations began to Preview Questions build democratic systems in the late 1. What factors undermined the stability 1980s. Social Political of Latin American countries? Challenges Challenges Key Terms 2. How did the roles of women change multinational corporation, magic realism in Latin America after 1945? Preview of Events ✦1940 ✦1950 ✦1960 ✦1970 ✦1980 ✦1990 1948 1980 1982 1990 The Organization of A movement toward democracy Gabriel García Márquez wins Twenty-nine Latin American American States is formed takes place in Latin America the Nobel Prize for literature cities have over a million people Voices from the Past One Latin American observer discussed the United States’s invasion of Panama in 1989 in the following words: The first official [U.S.] reason for the invasion of Panama was ‘to protect American lives“ there.’ This pretext was not credible, for the cry of ‘wolf! wolf!’ has been used before in Latin America. The danger to American lives is a hundred times greater every day and night in Washington, D.C., ‘the murder capital of the United States,’ and in other American cities to which President Bush has hardly applied his policy of pro- tecting North American lives and waging war against drugs (he prefers to wage that war on foreign battlefields).” —Latin American Civilization: History and Society, 1492 to the Present, Benjamin Keen, 1996 U.S. soldiers in Panama U.S. intervention in Latin American affairs has been a general trend in Latin Ameri- can history since 1945. Economic and Political Developments Since the nineteenth century, Latin Americans had exported raw materials while buying manufactured goods from industrialized countries. As a result of the Great Depression, however, exports fell, and the revenues that had been used to buy manufactured goods declined. In response, many Latin American countries developed industries to produce goods that were formerly imported. CHAPTER 29 Latin America 901 U.S. Involvement in Latin America since 1945 UNITED STATES ° 13 HONDURAS 30 N 1 MEXICO 1981–1990: U.S. supports 12 CUBA 1994: U.S., Mexico, contra rebels in Nicaragua 1959: Castro overthrows Batista. and Canada enter into from bases in Honduras. 1960: U.S. declares trade embargo upon Cuba. North American Free 1961: U.S. supports attempted overthrow of Trade Agreement (NAFTA). TROPIC OF CANCER Castro's government (Bay of Pigs invasion). 12 1962: U.S. blockades Cuba during Cuban Missile Crisis. 1980: Thousands of Cuban refugees enter U.S. 1 20°N HAITI 11 2 GUATEMALA BELIZE 1954: U.S. supports 11 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC overthrow of 2 13 1965: U.S. military forces Socialist government. 3 4 intervene to suppress 10 possible communist influence. 3 EL SALVADOR Late 1970s and 1980s: 10°N 9 GUYANA U.S. supports Salvadoran 8 army against Marxist-led COSTA 10 GRENADA guerrillas in civil war. RICA FRENCH GUIANA Fr. 1979: U.S. ends aid as Marxist 1992: Peace settlement COLOMBIA government assumes power. ends civil war. 1983: Extremists overthrow SURINAME EQUATOR 4 NICARAGUA ECUADOR government; U.S. invades to 1979: U.S. withdraws support for restore stable government.0° corrupt Somoza family; Somozas are overthrown by Sandinistas 9 (Marxist guerrilla forces). PANAMA 1981–1990: U.S. secretly aids 1989: U.S. invades Panama and contra rebel efforts to overthrow arrests and imprisons Sandinista government. 5 General Noriega on charges BRAZIL of drug trafficking. 5 PERU 1999: U.S relinquishes rights to Panama Canal Zone. 1958: Riots against U.S. BOLIVIA 10°S 8 VENEZUELA 1958: Riots against U.S. PARAGUAY TROP 20°S IC OF C APRIC ORN 6 CHILE 1970: U.S. tries and fails to Atlantic Ocean prevent election of Socialist President Allende. URUGUAY N 6 7 W Pacific Ocean E 3 0°S S 7 ARGENTINA 1946: U.S. tries and fails to prevent 0 1,000 miles election of President Peron.´ 0 1,000 kilometers Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area projection FALKLAND 40 ° ISLANDS S U.K. 130°W 120°W 110°W 100°W 90°W 80°W70°W60°W50°W40°W30°W20°W10°W0° By the 1960s, however, Latin American countries with divisions in more than two countries) to come to were still experiencing economic problems. They Latin America. This made these Latin American coun- were dependent on the United States, Europe, and tries even more dependent on industrialized nations. Japan, especially for the advanced technology In the 1970s, Latin American nations grew more needed for modern industries. Also, many Latin dependent as they attempted to maintain their weak American countries had failed to find markets economies by borrowing money. Between 1970 and abroad to sell their manufactured products. 1982, debt to foreigners grew from $27 billion to These economic failures led to instability and $315.3 billion. By 1982, a number of Latin American reliance on military regimes. In the 1960s, repressive economies had begun to crumble. Wages fell, and military regimes in Chile, Brazil, and Argentina abol- unemployment and inflation skyrocketed. ished political parties and returned to export-import To get new loans, Latin American governments economies financed by foreigners. These regimes also were now forced to make basic reforms. During this encouraged multinational corporations (companies process, however, many people came to believe that 902 CHAPTER 29 Latin America Per Capita Income, 1960s Main Exports, 1990s F CANCER M F CANCER TROPIC O E TROPIC O MEXICO CUBA HAITI X DOMINICAN REPUBLIC IC CUBA JAMAICA 20°N O DOMINICAN 20°N BELIZE BELIZE HAITI REPUBLIC GUATEMALA HONDURAS PUERTO Atlantic HONDURASCaribbean Atlantic NICARAGUA RICO Ocean GUATEMALA NICARAGUA Sea Ocean EL SALVADOR EL SALVADOR GUYANA 10°N 10°N COSTA RICA VENEZUELA COSTA RICA VENEZUELA GUYANA SURINAME PANAMA PANAMA Pacific FRENCH COLOMBIA FRENCH COLOMBIA GUIANA GUIANA Fr.