Revolution
Major Revolutionary Movements
• “Revolution” goal:
– Transformation of oppressive societal structures
• Most causes of revolution include:
– State weakness, elite conflicts, popular unrest
– population growth, unemployment, loss of welfare
• Most movements in Latin America aspire to
transformation but fail to achieve this goal.
• Three periods:
– Independence – elite “revolution”
– Influence of Fidel (1959-90 to Sandinista defeat)
– Individuals – new social movements (indigenous)
South American Movements
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Argentina
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Bolivia
– Movimiento Nacionalista Revolucionario (1952-1964)
– Túpac Amaru (1780 sporadic – throughout Andes)
Colombia (1964-Present)
– Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarios de Colombia
– Ejército de Liberación Nacional
– Quintín Lame
– Auto-defensas Unidas de Colombia
– M-19
– Partido Revolucionario de los Trabajadores
Peru
– Sendero Luminoso (1980)
– Hugo Blanco
Uruguay
– Tupamaros
Venezuela
– Bolivarian Revolution 1999-present
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– Monteros/Ejercito Revolucionario del Pueblo (ERP)
Caribbean and Central American Movements
• Cuba
– 26th of July Movement 1959-Present
• El Salvador
– Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN), 1980-1992.
• Guatemala
– 1944-1954
• Mexico
– Mexican Revolution 1910
– Chiapas, Zapatistas – Ejercito Zapatista de Liberación Nacional, 1
January 1994
• Nicaragua
– Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), 1979-1990
Cuba: Revolution & Repercussions
• 1959 Havana falls (Batista flees)
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January 7, U.S. recognizes new government.
February, Castro installed as president
April 15-26, Trip to U.S., dubbed “Operation Truth”
May 17, Signing of Agrarian Reform Act, expropriating farm lands, including his
family’s (nationalization of 75% of arable land).
• 1960 Nationalization of private property.
– May 8, Establishment of formal diplomatic relations with U.S.S.R.
– July 5, Nationalization of U.S. companies and properties in Cuba
– September 17, Nationalization of all U.S. banks in Cuba
• 1961, Separation, conflict, emergence of key foreign policy goal.
– January, U.S. (outgoing Eisenhower administration) severs diplomatic ties; bars
travel without government approval, authorizes CIA training of exile army –
goal to remove Castro.
– September U.S. Foreign Assistance Act authorizes trade embargo.
– April, Bay of Pigs invasion (Kennedy administration).
Nicaragua
• 1961 FSLN formed (Frente Sandinista de Liberación Naciónal)
• Guerrilla army with goal of removing Dictator Anastasio Somoza.
• Philosophy:
– Revolutionary action; role of the subjective; ideology to motivate masses.
• Chronology:
– Early defeats by National Guard; improved organization; accepted Christians
(liberation theology); 1967-74 silent accumulation of forces culminating in
1974 action; benefitted by Somoza greed in 1972 earthquake response
– FSLN becomes a product of groups of interests: Prolonged People’s War
(Maoist); Proletarian tendency (urban/student); Terceristas (Insurrectionist) –
alliance strategy – mobilize a broad based coalition to defeat Somoza
• Final offensive March to July 1979
• 2006 Daniel Ortega elected president
Colombia
• La Violencia 1948-1958.
• Power sharing agreement to end conflict.
• Emergence of multiple “revolutionary” groups
– FARC (Revolutionary Army of Colombia 1964)
– ELN (National Liberation Army 1964)
– AUC (United Self Defense Forces of Colombia)
– EPL (Popular Liberation Army 1965)
– M-19 (April 19th Movement)
FARC
• Roots in repressed coffee labor movement.
• Coffee laborers supported by Colombian Communist Party.
• Assassination of Jorge Gaitán, Cuban revolution inspiration moves
movement beyond self-defense to “revolution”.
• Retains nominal support of Marxist goals today.
• Governed by a general secretariat led by longtime leader Manuel
Marulanda (a.k.a. “Tirofijo”/Sureshot).
• Organized along military lines and includes several units that operate
mostly in key urban areas such as Bogotá (present in 60% of municipal
areas 2005).
• Funded with coca “taxes” – demise of Escobar 1993
ELN
• National Liberation Army
• 1965: Marxist insurgent group, formed by
urban intellectuals inspired by Castro and
Guevara.
• Primary opposition to FARC
• Leader Felipe Torres.
AUC
• United Self-Defense Forces/Group of Colombia (AUC) formed in
1997 to protect economic interests and combat FARC and ELN
insurgents.
• Supported by economic elites, drug traffickers, and local
communities lacking effective government security and claims
its primary objective is to protect its sponsors from insurgents.
• Frequently aided by Colombian military (clandestine)
• Leader Carlos Castano, negotiating to demobilize.
Peru
• Sendero Luminoso
New Social Movements
• CONAIE, Pachakutik, Ecuador
http://www.conaie.org/
• Zapatista, Chiapas, Mexico
• Cocaleros Federation, Bolivia
• MST, Brasil
http://www.mstbrazil.org/?q=about
• Madres de la Plaza de Mayo, Argentina
Chiapas – Zapatista National Liberation
Front
• Chiapas
• January 1st 1994 movement seizes four towns in Chiapas
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Land
Democratization
Indigenous rights
Repeal of NAFTA
• Two different Mexicos
– Those moving ahead
– Those left behind
Article 27 and Chiapas
• 1917 constitution, Article 27 placed significant
limitations on property ownership by foreigners,
the Catholic Church and declared national
ownership of the country's natural resources
• In its original form, Article 27 also granted the
government broad powers to expropriate private
property in the public interest and to
redistribute land.
• Amended in 1992
Article 27 and the Ejido
• Created the Ejido – agricultural land grant
– approach to breaking up large landholdings –
latifundios – post revolution.
• Ejido functions:
– government issued land to users, (peasants), for
cultivation.
– access to land guaranteed by the state but not
ownership
– temporary but in perpetuity “title” as long as the
land is cultivated.
Article 27 amended
• provides for the leasing and sale of ejido property:
– ...The law... shall regulate the rights of every ejido member in
relation to his parcel of ejido property by establishing the procedures
by which they may form partnerships among themselves, with the
State, or with third parties, and for the granting of the use of their
properties... as well as establish the requirements and procedures by
which the ejidos may grant its members ownership to their parcel of
ejido property.
• ejido property may now be sold, the ejido has the right to
determine how its property is parceled off and made
available for sale.
Chiapas
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Unresolved sociopolitical conflict
Sporadic clashes since 1994 over unresolved land claims
Fox promised to renew dialogue with Zapatista Rebels
As president he has withdrawn significant military presence
from the region
• August 2001 peace accords ratified but may be amended in
future