Chapter 22, Sections 3,4
Mexico And Argentina
From 1876-1911, caudilllo Porfirio Diaz was the
dictator.
He invited foreigners to invest. He was bent on
modernization. They built railroads, developed
mines, and bought land.
In 1910, peasants, workers and members of the
middle class overthrew Diaz. There was 11 years
of fighting and 1 million died.
• In 1917, there was
a new constitution
which gave land to
peasants,
protected rights of
workers and limited
the Catholic
Church’s power.
The Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI)
dominated from 1929-2000. They were inclusive,
but used fraud and violence to stay in power.
In 2000 the party lost the presidency. Vincente
Fox Quesada was elected from the National
Action Party.
The government encourages commercial farming
with irrigation projects in the South.
Many foreign
companies set up
there, using
machinery to
produce tomatoes
and fruits for export
to the US. Now
Mexico must import
food.
Mexico is the world’s fourth-largest oil-producer.
When the 70s boom hit, Mexico spent billions on
development.
In the 80s, oil prices
plunged, interest rates
soared, and Mexico
went into debt. They
had to cut education
and health care
spending and sell off
state-run industries.
Mexico, Canada and the US signed the North
American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in
1993, which set up a common market, and
ended tariffs.
Argentina is one of the ten largest nations (in
area) on earth. A vast fertile plain called the
Pampas stretches across east-central Argentina.
Farmers grow wheat,
corn and sorghum,
and huge ranches
(estancias) are
scattered there. This
makes the nation a
leading exporter of
food.
In 1946 Colonel Juan Peron was elected
president. He promised higher wages and
economic nationalism.
His wife Eva
Peron used
threats to get
donations from the
rich. She gave it to
the poor or used it
to build hospitals
(and to enrich
herself).
Economic crises occurred in the 80’s, 90’s, and in
2001.
Argentina faced
huge foreign debt.
The government
froze wages and
prices and laid off
thousands of
workers. It sold off
national airline,
railroad, and
telephone
companies.