Latin America
Section 1
Latin America
Section 1
Revolution and Intervention
Preview
• Starting Points Map: Turmoil in Latin America
• Main Idea / Reading Focus
• Trends in Latin America
• The Cuban Revolution
• Other Conflicts
Latin America
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Section 1
Latin America
Section 1
Revolution and Intervention
Main Idea
In reaction to economic and social conditions in Latin America
after World War II, many Central American countries
experienced revolutions that involved intervention by the
United States.
Reading Focus
• What were some key economic and social trends in
postwar Latin America?
• How did the Cuban Revolution come about and what
changes did it bring?
• What other revolutions arose in Central America?
Section 1
Latin America
Trends in Latin America
After World War II many countries in Latin America
struggled to address problems of poverty and inequality.
Economic Trends
• Roots of poverty, inequality go
back to history of colonialism
– Most land, wealth in hands of
elite
– Economies based on
agricultural exports
• To decrease dependence on
foreign countries, importsubstitution led to
industrialization policy
Industrialization
• Local industries developed to
replace need to import
manufactured goods
• Dependence on foreign
countries remained for
investment, technology, loans,
military aid
• Rural land use remained a
major issue
Section 1
Latin America
Economic Trends
Industrialization did not solve land problems
•Rural lands
– Owned by small group of elites, many with
ties to U.S. business interests
– Peasants struggled to find land to farm
•Addressing the issue
– Some countries took land from large
landholders, gave to landless peasants
– Mixed results, but still major economic trend
Latin America
Section 1
Social Trends
• Large gap between rich, poor major social issue
• Liberation Theology promoted by priests
• Church should be active in struggle for economic, social equality
• Criticized by Catholic Church, but popular in Catholic Latin America
Cities
• Unable to make living in rural areas, people flocked to region’s cities
• Movement caused rapid urbanization
• Many found life no easier in cities
• Shortages of food, housing, safe drinking water presented challenges
Section 1
Latin America
Summarize
How did people in Latin America try
to deal with some of the region’s
economic and social problems?
Answer(s): industrialization, land reform,
migration to cities, Liberation Theology movement
Section 1
Latin America
The Cuban Revolution
In Cuba, social and economic trends led to a revolution. There, social
inequality and heavy U.S. influence led to a revolt that brought
communism to this large Caribbean island.
Reasons for Revolt
Rich and Poor
• Cuba very
dependent on U.S.
• Valuable exports
from plantations
• 1950s, hotels,
casinos owned by
wealthy Americans,
Cuba’s elite
• Little land for
peasants to farm
• U.S. owned sugar,
tobacco plantations
• Cuba one of richest
Latin American
countries
• Most Cubans could
not earn living
U.S. Support
• Business interests
encouraged U.S.
government
support of corrupt
dictators
• Anticommunist
Fulgencio Batista
took power in 1952
military coup
Section 1
Latin America
The Cuban Revolution
The Coming of Castro
•Batista’s Cuba
– “A rich country with too many poor people”
– Batista’s coup stirred discontent, nationalism among
poor
•Revolutionaries under Castro
– Led unsuccessful attack, 1953; guerrilla war became
full-scale revolution, 1955
– Batista fled 1959; Castro took control
Section 1
Latin America
The Cuban Revolution
Goals of the Revolution
• Broad support for revolution to
remove Batista
• Most did not know what kind of
revolution Castro would lead
• Middle-class Cubans supported
moderate democratic reforms
• Many Castro revolutionaries,
including Che Guevara, wanted
Marxist regime
Castro’s Programs
• Castro focused on ending U.S.
dominance, redistributing
wealth, reforming society
• Energies went to restructuring
economy, society, government,
foreign policy
• 1961, program virtually
eliminated illiteracy in one year
• Created medical care system,
raised life expectancy
Section 1
Latin America
The Cuban Revolution
Changes under Castro
• Limited size of landholdings
• Nationalized private property, businesses
• To ensure he had power to make changes
– Took full control of government
– Took away freedom of press
• Result of radical actions
– Led Cuba more toward communism
– Led Cuba toward confrontation with U.S.
Section 1
Latin America
The Cuban Revolution
U.S. Involvement
• Cuba’s move toward communism troubled U.S. leaders
• Viewed Latin America as part of U.S. sphere of influence
• Wanted to keep communism out of region
Organization of American States
• Set up shortly after World War II to promote economic, military cooperation
• 1961, U.S.-trained invasion force of Cuban exiles landed at Bay of Pigs
• Mission to spark nationwide uprising against Castro; mission failed
Cuban Missile Crisis
• 1962, CIA learned Soviet Union building nuclear missile site in Cuba
• President John Kennedy ordered naval blockage to keep Soviet ships out
• World came close to nuclear war before compromise, missiles removed
Section 1
Latin America
The Cuban Revolution
Results of the Revolution Economic Effects of Revolution
• Mixed results since Cold War;
good access to health care,
education
• People’s civil liberties restricted
under one-party system
• Government jails opponents,
spies on citizens
• Mixed results as well; economy
suffered from U.S. embargo
• Castro’s policies led many
Cubans to leave country, many
for U.S.; caused economy to
struggle
• Castro relied on Soviet Union
for economic support; Soviet
collapse in 1991 hurt economy
Latin America
Section 1
Identify Cause and Effect
What were some of the causes and
effects of the Cuban Revolution?
Answer(s): Causes—social inequality, U.S.
influence, revolts; Effects—access to health care
and education, but restricted freedom, economy
still suffers
Section 1
Latin America
Other Conflicts
Causes
• Economic conditions not only
cause of revolutions
Guatemala
• Political corruption, repression
• 1952, Guatemalan president
Arbenz used land reform to
redistribute land to peasants
• U.S. support for corrupt
governments stirred nationalism
• Policy hurt American-owned
United Fruit Company
U.S. Concerns
CIA Intervention
• Pressure from United Fruit
Company, concerns over
Arbenz’ s leftist leanings
• Intervened in coup that toppled
Arbenz, replaced him
• U.S. decided to remove from
power
• Civil war raged from 1970s until
peace accord of 1996
• Start of repressive dictatorship
Section 1
Latin America
Other Revolutions
El Salvador
• Military dictatorships kept power through unfair elections, repression
• 1980 assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero, outspoken government
critic, sparked bloody civil war between Communist guerillas, army
Civil War
• Peasant villagers often caught in middle
• Government “death squads” roamed countryside, killed anyone suspected of
aiding opposition
Reagan Administration
• Supported Salvadoran government and army
• Provided money and military aid
• Violence continued into the 1990s
Section 1
Latin America
Other Revolutions
Nicaragua
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Nicaragua struggled with instability
Ruled for four decades by Somoza family
Wealthy family, controlled about one quarter of country’s farmland
Anti-communist views kept them in favor with U.S.
Corruption, violent tactics alarmed many Nicaraguans
Sandinistas
Contras
• 1979, Somoza forced to flee
• Sandinistas, revolutionary group
took over capital
• Ruled as junta, group of leaders
who rule jointly
• Launched economic, social reforms
• Allowed political opposition
• Reagan administration cut off aid
• Sandinistas looked to socialist
countries for financial aid
• Contras, U.S.-trained, funded rebel
group, began campaign of violence
• 1984 election kept Sandinistas in
power, though violence continued
Latin America
Section 1
Make Generalizations
How did U.S. influence affect conflicts
in Guatemala, El Salvador, and
Nicaragua?
Answer(s): civil war, violence, some corrupt
leaders overthrown, economic problems, some
financial and military aid