Latin American Juntas: Sam K
Politics in Mexico
Mexican Juntas
- Mexico grappled the conservative legacies of Spanish and Portuguese colonialism
- Embraced political and economic power of the landowning elite of European decent
- Had to deal with neocolonialism since the US intervened militarily when it felt that its interests were threatened
- Influenced Mexico's economy through investment and full or part ownership of enterprises like the oil industry
- 19th century Latin American nations looked at US as a model of liberal democracy. Lost its reputation through the Mexican War
Mexican Juntas
- Mexicans dedicated to overthrow elite rule and foreign economic control made a revolution that began in 1910-1930s
- Demanded for land and liberty were institutionalized in the Constitution of 1917
- Constitution said that the Mexican government owned it subsoil and its products and the state had the right to redistribute land to village peasants.
- Constitution incorporated reformist social laws and guaranteed civil liberties.
- Lazaro Cardenas distributed 45 million acres to peasants
- He also took control of Mexican oil wells away from foreign investors.
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Argentina Juntas
- Had a reasonably expansive economy based on cattle raising and agriculture, booming urban life, beginnings of an industrial base, and a growing middle class.
- Population mostly of Europeans.
- Remained relatively independent from US and European economic and political intervention
- Gradually shifted to free elections and a sharing of political power beyond the land owning elites.
- Argentina became a model of a political organization of brutal and deadly military rulers.
Juan Peron
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Eva Peron
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Rule After Peron
- Brutal military dictators ruled for 3 decades after Perons initial presidency
- Dictators approved the creation of "dead squads"
- These death squads fought a dirty war against suspected subversives.
- 6,000-23,000 people disappeared between 7 years.
- Calls for a return to democratic politics increased the in the aftermath of the dirty war and demands were intensified by economic disasters and the growth of the poor classes
- Political models in Latin America was diverse.
- Landowning elites that had power during the colonial era still kept their dominant position.
- Nations were split between the rich and the huge population of the poor.
- It is difficult to govern this unless someone calls for a revolution.
- Political security has often eluded the Latin American nations, these industrializing societies continue to seek stability and independence from foreign interference.