Central America Essay

El Salvador is a small and beautiful country in Central America bordered by Honduras, Guatemala, and the Pacific Ocean. During recent years, violence and poverty have plagued the country due to over-population and class struggles. “The civil war in El Salvador began in 1980 to 1992 due to discontent with social inequalities, a poor economy, and the repressive measures of dictatorship” (Wiarda, p. 213). There remains conflict between the rich and the poor, this has existed for more than a century and is still a big problem.

A few factors for the growth of pandillos in Central America include weak criminal justice systems, geographic, the region’s long history of authoritarianism and conflict, and population displacement and deportation (Bruneau, 154). Bruneau listed weak criminal justice systems as a factor because it makes it difficult to “enforce compliance with the law” (155). Moreover, large portions of the public have viewed law enforcement as the enemy for so long that people need time before they begin to trust and cooperate with members of the criminal justice system (Bruneau, 155). Until that time, gangs and other groups fill the void left by state actors (Bruneau,

When the liberals took the power away from the conservatives, commercial agriculture and product exportation took place. Eventually, came two agricultural modernization strategies; the radical policy strategy and the reform policy strategy. As stated by James Mahoney, “when successfully implemented, a radical policy strategy gave rise to radical liberalism, as in Guatemala and El Salvador. The reform strategy led to reformist liberalism, as was the case for Costa Rica” (230, Mahoney). Aborted liberalism took place when the two strategies mentioned before were not successfully implemented. The point of these liberalisms was to provide a structured and organized foundation for “military-authoritarian, democratic and traditional-authoritarian regimes” (230, Mahoney). In Guatemala and El Salvador, radical liberalism made changes in the military-authoritarianism aspect. In Costa Rica, electoral incorporation allowed politicians to go after the demands of democracy. In Honduras and Nicaragua, US intervention cut off the reformist and radical liberal ideas. Liberalism changed a lot of things Central America and was a part of the development of each

On the first day of Latin American Cultures, Professor Navia asked, “What does all of Latin America have in common?” In response, the students had a combination of answers: language, geography, and culture. However, everyone overlooked the most obvious answer: inequality. Inequality comes in all shapes and forms, and the most commonly thought of inequality is the gap between the rich and poor (income distribution). In this case, the primary inequality that will be addressed is human rights. According to the UNDP’s Development Report for Latin America and the Caribbean, Latin America is one of the world’s most unequal regions. Within Latin America, however, Honduras is the second poorest country that does not only face financial issues, but also large amounts of human rights violations toward majority of the population. By discussing the different types of violations in the 21st century, its reasons behind these particular violations shed light on how to address these issues. Lack of education and money seem to highlight a method of improving the current standing of Honduras.

Honduras is a country in Central America which borders the Caribbean Sea, Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua. From the time Honduras gained its independence in 1821, the country has experienced an intricate history that includes dictatorships, military coups, and government’s struggles. In a country of 8 million people, Honduras has faced more than its share of political instability, poverty, and strong US influence during the past century. This paper examines the effects of the US-sponsored Contras’ war on Honduras during the 1980s. Additionally, an interpretation and analysis of the Reagan Administration foreign policy in Central America are critical to understand the consequences that have affected the Republic of Honduras.

After decades of conflict, countries across Central America emerged from the 1980s with a renewed possibility. Among the major

* 58% of Central Americans are unsatisfied with the performance of their market economies. * 68% say that privatization has been a bad idea. * 80% believe that corruption has increased. * 50% say that democracy does not function in the region. * 85% have little or no confidence in their political parties.

Endemic poverty and political instability are two factors that profoundly influence Latin America. The causes are individual for each country and or region. The use of the term endemic emphasises the individualistic and enduring nature of these causes. Therefore, when comparing the causes of endemic poverty and political instability in Mexico and Guyana there will be substantial differences. They are nevertheless, in a similar region of the world, therefore, similarities are also probable. Contrasts emerge due to proximity to the US and similarities are evident in the marginalisation of rural citizens. Both countries have suffered from poor governance and brutality of poverty.

Political unrest in the central american region was very obvious in the 1970’s, and was later referred to as the ‘ Central American Crisis,’ when major civil wars and pro-communist revolutions erupted in various countries within the region. Four of the regions countries; Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras all experienced these civil wars. In El Salvador the El Salvadorian military fought against one of the the left wing militias within the country and with support from the US government managed to prevail unfortunately between ’75,000 and 90,000 people were killed’ and much land and cities were destroyed. Guatemala experienced civil war in both the 60’s and the 70’s, the most brutal being within the 70’s which was brought to an end with the presidency of Efraín Ríos. All of the democratic governments were supported by the USA throughout the crisis due to the US governments wish to maintain the relationship with Central America and especially Panama due to the Panama

Latin America is a region known for their differences in its human and physical geography. The area culture comes from the lasting influence of the Maya, Aztec, and Inca civilizations. Each civilization contributed different things to the Latin America region. Latin America has also experienced many natural hazards that occurred in the Middle America mountains ranges to the Caribbean islands. The environment issue in these areas occurs from the soil erosion. air quality, and the society pollution. The region is also known for their mineral products and how they are distributed among nature.

For the past two centuries, much of Latin America has struggled to shake the hierarchical capitalist inequities established throughout the colonial period. While the independence movements of the 19th century successfully established national sovereignty, the new governments failed to shatter the export-model which enriched western countries at the expense of the former colonies. This cycle of dependency continued well into the 20th century, until the Great Depression plunged the globe into economic disarray. Spurring discussion about the viability of free-market capitalism, the economic crisis birthed various nationalist movements which attempted to address the structural failures which generated adverse outcomes for Latin America. Leaders

The Federative Republic of Brazil is the largest country in Latin America, fifth largest in the world, and has the largest economy in Latin America as well. With upwards of approximately 204 million inhabitants, the opportunity for expansion in to such a competitive market seems enticing for those willing and able to endure the countless social, cultural, political, legal, and global factors that comes with expansion to the seventh-largest economy in the world. Companies who are successful in their endeavors will encounter a global consumer base and may instantaneously reap the benefits of such a populated market. However, in retrospect, those who are unsuccessful could face severe losses from a branding perspective and ultimately, financially.

Not discussed herein is the coverage of regions of Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. Similar to the struggles of the Middle East and Africa respectively, Latin America’s rich diversity and a large assortment of languages and cultures has further led to problems ensuing decolonization efforts. Equally important, and seen in all developing nations is the influx of European immigrants and massive population shifts in regards to dependence on industrialization

The strength of a state exists on a continuum (from strong, weak to failed). Many Latin American states have been unable to produce stability for its people due to the effects of modernization and reoccurring mass violence. This is epitomized by the case of the history of violence in Guatemala, further exacerbated by the international intervention of corporations and the American government. Corporate intervention has acted as a destabilizing factor pushing the modernization process faster than the government can keep up. The American government has further affected the political landscape by intervening in warfare be it by supporting authoritarian regimes or direct weapon transfer. (THESIS) As a result, many Latin American states are weak states deeply affected by capitalist relations globally which has resulted in zones of order and disorder especially in Guatemala characterized by a history of violence entangled with modernization efforts from corporate and American government actors; all of which has resulted in mass migration. (ORGANIZATION) This essay will be premised by a clear definition of the characteristics of a weak and failed state is. The following two sections will apply the features of weak and failed state as primary causes of migration. The first being economic factors subsection global economic and foreign capital. The second section will outline how the case of Guatemala fits this definition of failed state due to a history of violence. Finally, the last

Colombia just like most Latin American countries, they value family very important since it follows the Roman Catholic church teams by which they bid by. Most Colombians tend to have a nuclear family which basically concepts of the father, mother, and children as the main basic household unit. Majority of families that adopt to the nuclear family system are families in urban areas where it is much more developed and both parents tend to be in the working class and fend for their family. Also some urban families in the upper class tend to have many children but still the father maintains his position as the head of the household unit and the mother’s role might rotate depending on the head of the house decision thus the mother can either stay home and the responsible for the up bringing go the kids or she might be working and upbringing as well. There is still a small percentage of Colombians who practice the extended family system which are mostly in the rural areas of the countries, this family system consist of the father, mother , children, mother-in laws, father - in laws, aunts and uncle and many more depending on how big the family wants to be. This system keeps members very close to one another and noone rarely move far away from each other, there is always that sense of responsibility that will pass on from generations to generations. This system works best in the rural areas due to the farm land