geog323 lecture5 USinfluence2

Lecture 5: United States influence in Latin America (part II): 

Lecture 5: United States influence in Latin America (part II) Geog 313

The Jones Act: 1917: 

The Jones Act: 1917 Jones Act (1917)- imposing U.S. citizenship on all Puerto Ricans over the unanimous objection of their House of Delegates. For the next thirty years, the island remained a direct colony. Its Anglo governors appointed by the president, its population virtually ignored by Congress, and U.S. policy toward it controlled by a handful of American sugar companies. By 1930 and 1940 Puerto Rico became notorious as the poorhouse of the Caribbean and the hotbed for strikes and anti-American violence. Not until 1948 did Puerto Rico be allowed to elect their own governor.

The Jones Act: 1917: 

The Jones Act: 1917 The Jones Act in 1917 was another monumental event in Puerto Rico’s history and gave Puerto Rican People a dual citizenship. Puerto Ricans could enter the United States legally and have all the privileges and responsibilities of a natural citizen. The Jones Act provided the Puerto Ricans with a dual culture, language, and identity.

“Gunboat Diplomacy” (1901-1928): 

“Gunboat Diplomacy” (1901-1928) The United States regularly intervened through the Monroe Doctrine in the new fragile countries. Cuba, Panama, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Haiti were occupied by U.S. military forces for extended periods and kept under control by naval intimidation. Between 1901-1928 the United States intervened fifty times in the region.

FDR’S Good Neighbor Policy: 

FDR’S Good Neighbor Policy Why a change of policy? -Military intervention was counterproductive. -Cost money. On March 4, 1933 Good Neighbor Policy became official. “I would dedicate this nation to the policy of the good neighbor—the neighbor who resolutely respects himself … Respects the right of others” (FDR at inaugural address). In other words, the United States would no longer answer calls to support one or another side or even to supervise elections in the region.

FDR’S Good Neighbor Policy: 

FDR’S Good Neighbor Policy The U.S. introduced a more active diplomacy, spying, a forceful military diplomacy, political manipulation, and economic persuasion to further its interests. FDR introduced an economic aid program. Ex. Cuba and other Latin American countries received such aid. Second, U.S. military presence continued from several naval bases in the Caribbean and Panama Canal Zone. Third, diplomacy took a more active role by the president visiting Latin American countries. Lastly, political back dealing established governments that were willing to work with the United States.

FDR’S Good Neighbor Policy: 

FDR’S Good Neighbor Policy What was the legacy? Created a legacy of dictatorships during 1930’s. These dictatorships were chosen by U.S. to safeguard U.S. interests. Received special protection and received special treatment. This authoritarian regimes exercised absolute authority as long as it protected U.S. interests.

FDR’S Good Neighbor Policy: 

FDR’S Good Neighbor Policy Who where these dictators? -Dominican Republic: Rafael Trujillo (1931-1961) -Nicaragua: Anastacio Somoza (1936-1956) -Cuba: Fulgencio Bautista (1940-1958) -Paraguay: Alfredo Stroesner (1954-1989)

Nicaragua: 

Nicaragua U.S. Intervention William Walker proclaimed himself president in 1855. In 1908, the Marines invaded in an effort to control and direct Nicaraguan politics. Then in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s United States Marines invaded again. After the last invasion the U.S. established and maintained the National Guard. Somoza was the Director of the National Guard whom later became the dictator. “When Franklin D. Roosevelt was asked ‘how he could support that son of a … Somoza,’ he is said to replied: “Somoza may be a son of a … but he’s our son of…” (Winn, p. 257). Somoza was educated and trained in the School of the Americas. United States established a embargo against the Sandinista government.

Cuba: 

Cuba First U.S. occupation government: American fortune hunters. Ex. United Fruit Company acquired 200,000 acres for peanuts. Tobacco Trust in the U.S. controlled 90% of the export trade in Havana cigars. Second, General Charles E. Magoon, ended up looting the country. Ex. When Magoon arrived, Cuba’s national treasury had a $13 million in surplus when he left Cuba had $12 million in debt. Third, in 1912 U.S. soldiers returned to put down a radical revolt by black sugar workers. By then ten thousand Americans were living in the Island: they controlled the railroads, public utilities, mining and manufacturing companies, sugar and tobacco plantations, shipping, and banking concerns. Fourth, President Wilson dispatched troops to put down a rebellion after the U.S.-backed candidate won.

Cuba: 

Cuba In 1933 President Roosevelt concluded that Machado had to go. By the time that U.S. diplomats arrived, a nation-wide strike toppled and both Machado and a U.S. backed transitional gov’t. The new gov’t was led by Ramon Grau San Martin, embarked in an radical transformation of the country by abolishing the Platt Amendment, gave women the right to vote, and decreed a minimum wage and an eight-hour day. He lasted only 100 days!!!!!!!!!!

Cuba: 

Cuba The U.S. insisted to Fulgencio Batista, the new commander of Cuban Army to stage a coup. Batista ruled from 1934-1944 as both army strongmen and president. In 1944, Grau San Martin won the presidency and his party stayed in power for the next eight years, but his government proved to be the most corrupt in Cuban history. Batista staged a coup in 1952 and governed until 1958 when Fidel Castro came to power in January 1, 1959.

Cuba: 

Cuba 1959 Cuban Revolution Bay of Pigs (1961) Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

Dominican Republic: 

Dominican Republic The U.S. Presence-in the Dominican Republic, began with nineteenth century Ulises Heureaux who racked up $34 million dollars in debt to foreign creditors. He hatched a refinancing plan in 1892 to avoid bankruptcy. The U.S. firm, the Santo Domingo Improvement Company, came to the rescue of Heureaux in exchange for control of the national bank and one of the two national railroads. In 1905 a financial crisis hit the Dominican Republic. European powers threatened intervention in order to collect their money. President Roosevelt was worried about sea lanes to the unfinished Panama Canal and offered to consolidate the debt with a new loan from a New York bank. In return, the Dominican government would turn over all customs revenues to a U.S.-appointed agent. No longer would they be able to raise government spending or increase taxes without U.S. consent.

Dominican Republic: 

Dominican Republic From that point on, United States overseers established new legal reforms to benefit foreign investors. In 1906, the Dominican government was persuaded to grant tax exceptions to all sugar produced for export. In 1911, it was easier for sugar growers to enlarge their holdings. For example the New York-based Barahona Company, which was organized in 1916. By 1925, it had amassed 49,400 acres largely from buying, communal holdings and became the second largest plantation The Central Romana mushroomed in size from 3,000 acres in 1912 to 155,000 acres in 1925. By 1924, twenty-one sugar companies controlled 438,000 acres—a quarter of the country’s arable land. More than 80 percent of it belonged to twelve U.S. companies. As land subsistence farming diminished, staples had to imported from the U.S. and the prices of food skyrocheted. From 1916-1924, U.S. Marines occupied D.R. and dissolved the legislature, imposed martial law and press censorship, and jailed hundreds of opponents. In 1919, a custom law opened the country to imports by declaring 245 U.S. products duty-free, while it sharply lowered tariffs on 700 others. The surge of imports that ensued drove many local Dominican producers out of business.

Dominican Republic: 

Dominican Republic Another impact of the U.S presence was the creation of a national police. The army built a modern force that could control the population permanently after they had left. One of the early recruits was a former security guard for one of the sugar companies, Rafael Leonidas Trujillo. In 1920, President Warrren Harding won and dispatched diplomat Summer Welles (the same that help Batista coup) to organize the retreat of American troops. Rafael Trujillo was elected president after waging terror against his opponents.

Dominican Republic: 

Dominican Republic In summary, prior to Trujillo the U.S. involvement in D.R. established a political, military, and economic dependency. As well as an anti-American sentiment in D.R. and political division. When Dominican officials did not comply with Washington demands, Yankee warships appeared offshore. In the first seventy-two years of independence, Dominicans experienced twenty-nine coups and forty-eight presidents. During Trujillo’s reign of terror for more than thirty years, he established the most notorious dictatorship in the hemisphere until his assassination in May 1961 with the help of the CIA. Books such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s The Autumn of the Patriarch and Mario Vargas Llosa’s The feast of the Goat describe the rule of Trujillo. As well as, a movie In the time of the Butterfly.

Lecture 5: United States influence in Latin America (part II): 

Lecture 5: United States influence in Latin America (part II) Geog 313

Guatemala:1954: 

Guatemala:1954 Jacobo Arbenz (professor) was elected president of Guatemala. He was influenced by FDR’s forceful intervention in the economy to protect common citizens from economic harm. Mexican revolution and his exile for a decade in Argentina. Introduced land reforms and seized some idle lands of United Fruit Company. CIA organized a small force to overthrow him and began training in Honduras. Arbenz sought the United States for military help but was denied. Arbenz bought arms from Czech (proving that he was red).

Guatemala: 

Guatemala United States Intervention The land and labor reform introduced by President Jacobo Arbenz’s administration was a clear threat to the properties owned by the powerful U.S. United Fruit Company. In 1954, the CIA under the administration of President Dwight Eisenhower overthrew the elected President Jacobo Arbenz, because of his socialist views and reforms (Orr 127). The death of Jacobo Arbenz in 1954 set the stage for a power struggle for the country’s affairs, leading to military control of the governments over the next decades. The intervention by United States was a turning point, sending Guatemalan politics into chaos for the next thirty years.

Alliance for Progress: 

Alliance for Progress What was the Alliance of Progress? In the late 1950s, U.S. Vice President Richard Nixon visited. During his visit he was forced out of Lima and nearly assaulted in Caracas. The tour subsequently was abandoned. Fidel Castro’s revolution took place in Cuba in September 1959. This prompted President Kennedy to propose an Alliance for Progress (1961). It was a 10-year plan to hasten development in Latin America. The plan sought to: promote democracy, accelerate development, sponsor agrarian reform, Improve housing, Working conditions, Education, Public health, Taxation policies, Reduce inflation, stimulate, private enterprise, Smooth commodity price fluctuations, Promote economic integration.

Alliance for Progress: 

Alliance for Progress Why didn’t it work? Latin American countries were not ready to cooperate and implement the goals. The United States provided over $10 billion to the aims of the plan. Military regimes took hold in many Latin American countries and the aid helped to support old regimes rather than promote democracy and progress. The social and economic problems identified in the plan were not addressed: Either because individual countries lacked of resources or political will or both. No country had the financial, technological, and urban planning resources to control urbanization. Few countries tackled the issue of agricultural reform.

Chile: 

Chile Salvador Allende (socialist doctor-politician) was elected president of Chile in 1970. He came close to winning the 1964 election but at the last minute his attempt was thwarted by a deal among conservatives and by U.S. aid to his opponents. The election in 1970 was split three ways but gave a slim plurality (36.5%) to Allende. Allende nationalized major banks and insurance companies, cooper giants, telephone and electric power industries (This involved over 200 companies some U.S.-owned companies). Extended the vote to illiterates and land distribution. He would recognize Cuba and carry friendly relations with all nations, including socialist and communist ones.

Chile: 

Chile By 1972, problems emerged. Oppositions in the governments began collaborating to block his reforms. U.S. cut off international loans. Unions, workers, employers, housewives, peasants, and other groups began protesting. Lefties groups including armed guerrillas began strikes against conservative parties. The army and police began counterinsurgency operations. September 11, 1973 Chief of Staff Augusto Pinochet organizes a coup (1973-1989).

El Salvador: 

El Salvador Political causes Farabundo Marti, a communist, organized a rural rebellion in 1932 in an attempt to end the social inequalities of the country. La Matanza- the government ruled by the oligarchy responded by killing 20,000 to 30,000 peasants in 1932, a precursor of the civil war that rose during the 1980s. After the success of dismantling the revolt of 1932, the Salvadoran elite and the military formed a partnership that would allow them to control the country for the next fifty years. Ruben Zamora gives a brief explanation of the reason why it was necessary for the country to enter into a civil war by saying, “There was no political space” (Winn 527). First, the opposition tried the electoral route, but they encountered fraud and repression. Second, the resistance experimented with extra-parliamentary politics and tried demonstrations. The response by the government was violent suppression. Third, adversaries formed a rare alliance with the military to participate in the 1979 coup d'état, but it brought no change (Winn 527). Fourth, a coalition of the five leftist groups came together in 1979 to form the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMNL), as an armed guerrilla movement.

El Salvador: 

El Salvador U.S. Intervention: El Salvador was a pawn in the international chess game between the United States and the former Soviet Union. U.S. president Ronald Reagan campaigned against the spread of communism in the Western Hemisphere and the threat it represented to United States’ security. The United States invested heavily to win the war in El Salvador. United States Economic and Military Assistance: 1953-1990 * The number of U.S. personnel as of December 31, 1984 Source: Booth & Walker, 1993, p. 177

El Salvador: 

El Salvador The United States government did not want to be criticized internationally or domestically especially after the fiasco with the Vietnam War. As the United States increased aid to El Salvador approximately each year, so did the human rights violations. Schools of the Americas in Fort Benning, Georgia - When the war began the number of Salvadoran military being trained increased dramatically. For example, “of the almost 4,000 Salvadoran officers trained at the Schools of the Americas since 1946, 80 percent of them received instruction since 1980” (Barry & Preush, 1986, p. 94). However, that did not stop the U.S. from investing an estimated $6 billion dollars in military and economic aid into El Salvador’s civil war (Booth and Walker, 1993, p. 101).

Case Study-Latin America: 

Case Study-Latin America Latin America has experienced more dynamic political changes than Africa and Asia. Between 1978-1993 fifteen countries made the transition from dictatorships and authoritarianism to democracy. Latin America has a history of weak political institutions. Ex. Constitutions…………..

Constitutions in Latin America: 

Constitutions in Latin America

Political Changes: 

Political Changes What factors have contributed to political changes in Latin America? Economic difficulties: Hyperinflation Unemployment Debt Weak currencies Trade deficits Military conflicts: The military government in Argentina was weakened by defeat in the Falklands and Malvinas war. Inadequate governments: In December 23, 1972, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 struck the capital city of Managua, leaving 10,000 people dead and the city destroyed (Leonard, 1987, p. 2). International aid poured into the county. However, Somoza and his friends took the opportunity to steal millions of dollars in aid. It brought international attention and helped unite the opposition against the Somoza regime.

Political Changes: 

Political Changes What factors have contributed to political changes in Latin America? 4. Imposed sanctions: Imposed embargos in the case of the Sandinista government in Nicaragua. 5. Fall of communism: Soviet Union could no longer be alternative for governments. 6. Foreign policy: For example, when President Jimmy Carter withdrew support from dictatorships from Nicaragua, Argentina, Chile, Panama, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic to help motivate change.

Political Changes-Mexico: 

Political Changes-Mexico How long has Mexico been a “Democratic government”? In 1999, Vicente Fox of the National Action Party (PAN) became president. Thereby ending seventy one years of political dominance by the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) dominance. Mexico was a one party system in which Presidents could elect there predecessors. Would the democracy continue in Mexico as the presidential elections continue? What about the Zapatista Movement and the Indigenous rights in Chiapas?

Political Changes-Chile: 

Political Changes-Chile Chile’s democracy was ended when Salvador Allende, the country’s first elected Marxist president, was overthrown and killed by General Augusto Pinochet in 1973. Pinochet and the military ruled from 1973 until democracy was restored in 1990. Domestic and international pressure, as well as a growing middle-class influenced Pinochet to hold elections. Chile returned to its democratic roots, despite retaining authoritarian tendencies and Pinochet becoming a senator for life. Ricardo Lagos won the presidency in 2000. Pinochet is facing prosecution for the human right violations he and his government committed. Chile elects a women president in 2006

Historical Stable Gov’t- Costa Rica: 

Historical Stable Gov’t- Costa Rica Costa Rica stands out in Latin America with a long history of stable governments. Unlike most countries, Costa Rica does not have a military. It was abolished by the 1949 constitution. The ministry of public security and the ministry of the presidency share responsibility for law enforcement and national security. The Constitution established an independent judiciary, which enforces the democratic rights. The Costa Rican Constitution is similar to the United States with the exception that Constitution established Catholicism as the state religion.

Latin America Dictators: 

Latin America Dictators Fulgencio Bautista(1933-1959) Fidel Castro, Cuba, (1959-2???). Rafael Trujillo, Dominican Republic (1930-1961). Somoza Dynasty, Nicaragua (1936-1979). Alfredo Stroessner, Paraguay (1954-1989). Francois “Papa Doc” Duvalier, Haiti (1956-1971). “Baby Poc”, Haiti, (1971-1986) Augusto Pinochet, Chile (1973-1989).

Dictators: 

Dictators Why are most new democratic movements reluctant to prosecute ex-dictators? New democracies are too fragile to confront ex-dictators. New leaders are more concerned about building democratic institutions and changing people’s attitudes to government. Many ex-dictators play a critical role in transitions to democracy and are able to negotiate their exemption from prosecution when they leave office. Ex-dictators usually continue to have strong support from the military, which is often the country’s strongest and most legitimate institution. Putting former military leaders in trial could prompt armed forces.

Dictators: 

Dictators Why are most new democratic movements reluctant to prosecute ex-dictators? The new civilian government attempted to consolidate their power and put the past behind them by stressing the need for national reconciliation and forgiveness. Some former leaders escaped punishment because of their ability to convince new leaders that their brutality was justified for political circumstances or as part of economic development. Some ex-dictators simply die before they can be tried for their crimes.

Threats: 

Threats What impact do you think economic reforms will have on political situation in Latin America? Poverty Corruption Weak Judicial System Human rights Eroding middle class Gangs

Post WWII: 

Post WWII Direct U.S. military intervention in Latin America has been rare: Dominican Republic 1965 Grenada 1983 Panama 1989

U.S. Influence H.W. #3: 

U.S. Influence H.W. #3 Pick a country and answer the following questions: Historically how has the United States intervene in your country? What were the socio-economical, political, and other conditions of your country at that time? Argue whether the United States has been a friend or a foe to your country? Guidelines: The paper must be a minimum of four pages. You need to include a minimum of two scholarly sources. Follow the guidelines in the syllabus and provide a title page

Reference: 

Reference Timeline of U.S.A. military interventions www.zompist.com/latam.html www.pinzler.com/ushistory/timeline9.html Other books: Rosenberg, M. B. et al (1992). Americas: Anthropology. Oxford University Press: New York. Clayton, L.A. and Conniff, M. L. (1999). A History of Modern Latin America. Hancourt Brace College Publishers: Toronto. Schlesinger, S. and Kinzer, S. (1982). Bitter Fruit: The Untold Story of the Americas Coup in Guatemala. Doubleday & Company, Inc: New York. Robertson, W. S. (1946). Rise of the Spanish-American Republics: As Told in the Lives of Their Liberators. The Free Press: New York. Gonzalez, Juan. (2000). Harvest of Empire. Penguins Book: New York.