Essay on Latin American Dictatorship

Those numbers show that this time period was genocide. People were "disappearing", being tortured and killed just because they believed in a different type of political system. An estimated 30,000 Chileans survived imprisonment and severe torture by agents of Pinochet's secret police-electric shock, beatings, near-drowning, and rape in secret detention facilities. During his seventeen-year rule Chile became a pariah state, internationally condemned for ongoing, systematic violations of human rights. Pinochet played a leadership role in initiating and overseeing many of these atrocities. One month after the coup, he authorized a death squad, led by his close associate General Sergio Arellano, to "expedite justice". Using a Puma helicopter, a five-member military team led by General Arellano flew to various northern cities and, at each stop, selected prisoners and shot or bayoneted them in the middle of the night. Over a period of four days, sixty-eight civilians were killed, having committed no crime other than serving in local community leadership roles under the elected Allende government. This series of atrocities became known as "the Caravan of Death." All of this killing was mostly the work of the army's Dirección de Inteligencia Nacional (DINA). The DINA also killed someone here in the Unites States. In September 1976, the DINA assassinated

     Latin American Independence was the drive for independence from Spain and France by the Latin American people. There were many contributing factors that ultimately led to the uprising of Latin American colonies. Europe's strong hold on the economic and political life of Latin America, was creating friction between the Latin Colonies and the European nations. Eventually, this would become enough for the Latin American people and the drive for independence from France and Spain would begin.

After the age of enlightenment, colonies and nations around the world began questioning their rulers and ruling nations. Liberal and nationalist ideas spread across Europe and the world, especially after the French Revolution. When these beliefs spread to the colonies of America, independence movements and revolts occurred. The Latin American revolution and Haitian revolution were both significant events during the 19th century that affected both their respective nations and the world. While both revolutions resulted similarly such that a social hierarchy based on race existed after independence, they differ in that while the Latin American revolutions placed an emphasis on ending the Spanish casta system, Haitian revolution was based on freeing slaves.

Simon Bolivar, The Liberator, is acclaimed by historians as one of the greatest Latin American revolutionary leaders in history. Commonly referred to as the “Washington for South American revolutions” (Slatta 3), Bolivar, has undoubtedly had a profound influence on the political state of South America; but as Washington got rid of colonialists of one country, Bolivar liberated six from Spanish rule. Although he managed to attain such a feat, historians often debate over the extent of his influence and success, some even regarding him as a failure. As a “liberator who scorned liberalism, a soldier who disparaged militarism, a republican who admired monarchy” (Lynch 1), Bolivar’s legacy has many different analyses. Although Bolivar may have failed in creating his ideal, unified Republic, he still managed to implement several of his goals and

When the Europeans first arrived in Latin America, they didn’t realize the immensity of their actions. As history has proven, the Europeans have imposed many things on the Latin American territory have had a long, devastating effect on the indigenous people. In the centuries after 1492, Europeans would control much of South America and impose a foreign culture upon the already established civilizations that existed before their arrival. These imposed ideas left the continent weak and resulted in the loss of culture, the dependence on European countries, and a long standing ethnic tension between natives and settlers which is evident even to this day. The indigenous people of South America, which

Venezuela, located in the Latin American region, is a country that has been characterized by its abundance of oil reserve. A natural resource that has shaped the history and development of the country, affecting its economic, social and most important is political spheres. For many years Venezuela was controlled by authoritarian regimes. The country, being very important in the sense of geo-politics due to its abundance of oil, has been a key player in the international arena and most important, to those that for many years kept the country under their regime. It was not until 1958 that Venezuela experienced the change to democracy and a stable democracy was kept between the two main political parties of the time, Accion Democratica (AD)

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, the United States was the most dominant power in the Western Hemisphere. European nations conceded to the United States their right of any intervention in the Western Hemisphere and allowed the United States to do whatever they wanted. The United States took this newly bestowed power and abused it. The United States intervened in many Latin American countries and imposed their policies on to these countries against their will. A perfect example of this aggression is what occurred in the Dominican Republic in 1904. The United States intervened in this sovereign nation and took control of their economy and custom houses. A memorandum from Francis B. Loomis, the United States Assistant

Pinochet was put into power . This is a perfect example of how the US foreign policy replaced genuine democracy with dictatorship for their own benefit, and again, supposedly in the name of National Security. Latin America was a victim of US foreign policy and corporate greed.

In a short lived movement to install a civilian lead government, Cesar Mendez was democratically elected president and it seemed that the bloodshed may be over. On the contrary, the Civil War intensified as the military revved up a robust counterinsurgency campaign to defeat the newly elected government. As the fighting continued, the military seized power again. Under the rule of military backed Carlos Arana was elected President. As expected he began to use force and violence against indigenous communities and militant groups that opposed the new regime. The military seized more power over the civilian population. This military action continued for the next decade. Like in many countries that are not a world power, most of this violence went unnoticed. Yet while the world focused on the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, Guatemalan citizens were victims of military rule and being terrorized by the state. Indigenous activists, suspected government opponents, refugees, academics, students, unions, journalist and children where all victims of the states practice of violence and inhuman policies.

In the years following the Congress of Vienna, revolts plagued many European countries as well as several areas in Latin America. France was driven from Haiti, Portugal lost control of Brazil, and Spain was forced to withdraw from all its American empire except for Cuba and Puerto Rico. Colonial government in South America came to an end. Three countries where revolts were successfully established were Haiti, Venezuela, and Brazil. The countries in Latin America benefited from the revolts because they became free from colonial rule, but, except for Brazil, they were left with many consequences.

Now days democracy has been establish in every Latin America country except Cuba, which is still a socialist state. It seemed that every other alternative form of government such as Marxism or Leninism has failed and been replaced by democracy. Furthermore it looks like people in Latin American really enjoy democracy and its’ benefits, as they also consider it to be the best form of government. After the failure of authoritarian leaders and the military intervene their lives, Latin American citizens wanted to change their system into a more fair and honest system, democracy. Democracy is usually defined as a system of honesty, equality, freedom of rights, though for Latin America countries it means gains, welfare and patronage. Latin

The United States, is often seen as wanting to spread values of democracies to countries around the world. However, in Chile the United States helped end the democracy which lasted for over 40 years until the military coup. This paper will examine if the United States topple democracy in Chile in favor of a military dictatorship to avoid socialism within Chile to protect its own interests, or the interests of the Chilean citizens? This paper will only examine what the United States did to influence the politics of Chile before the military coup and why it would then support the rise of the dictator Pinochet. This paper will not look at the specific causes of what initiated the military coup as this was a result of the Chilean

Many did not survive and went insane. Others told Weschler that they survived by dreaming. Imagination was their only hope at staying alive and somewhat sane. A victim of these abuses, Marcelo Vignar, describe his experience/imprisonment as terrifying. There was no telling how long he’d be held for nor what to expect all because he allegedly gave medical assistance to a Tupamaro. In 1976, Amnesty International calculated that Uruguay had more political prisoners per capita than any other nation on earth (Wechsler 1990, 88). The incarceration rate illustrated how much control, over civilian day to day life, the military held.

Augusto Jose Ramon Pinochet Ugarte also known as Augusto Pinochet was born on November 25, 1915 in Valparaiso, Chile, and died on December 10, 2006 in Santiago, Chile. He was a murderous Dictator who ruled in Chile from 1973 to 1990. He was Commander-in-Chief of the Chilean Army from 1973 to 1998 and president of the Government Junta of Chile between 1973 and 1981. Pinochet managed to attain full power by overthrowing Salvador Allende, a socialist government, by using military force. His years in power were defined by inflation and poverty leaving behind a legacy of abuse that took successive government years to catalogue. Numerous years after Pinochet stepped down, he was charged with several crimes from the time when he was president,

His military officers held key positions in the local government such as mayor and university rector extending his control over the Chilean people. Some 3000 political opponents were kidnapped, tortured and assassinated during his reign. A further 10,00 people were brutally tortured and imprisoned during his 17 years of reign. He relinquished his presidency in 1990 but remained commandeering chief of the Chilean army.