The Mexican way
•The Mexican Revolution at the beginning of the 20th century created a political
order that remained stable for many years.
•The official political party of
the Mexican Revolution- the institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) came to
dominate Mexico.
•Every 6 years, leaders of the PRI chose the party's
presidential candidate, who was then elected by the people.
•On 10/2/1968,
university students gathered in Mexico City to protest government
policies.
•Police killed hundreds of people.
•Leaders of the PRI grew
concerned about the need for change in the system.
•The next two presidents,
Luis Echeverria and Jose Lopez Portillo, made political reforms and opened the
door to the emergence of new political parties.
•In the late 1970s, oil was
discovered in Mexico.
•The sale of oil increased and the government became
more dependent on oil revenues.
•The government was forced to adopt new
economic policies.
•One of these policies was privatization, the sale of
government-owned companies to private firms.
•The debt crisis and rising
unemployment increased dissatisfaction with the government.
•Support for the PRI dropped.
•In 2000, Vicente Fox defeated the PRI candidate for the
presidency.
order that remained stable for many years.
•The official political party of
the Mexican Revolution- the institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) came to
dominate Mexico.
•Every 6 years, leaders of the PRI chose the party's
presidential candidate, who was then elected by the people.
•On 10/2/1968,
university students gathered in Mexico City to protest government
policies.
•Police killed hundreds of people.
•Leaders of the PRI grew
concerned about the need for change in the system.
•The next two presidents,
Luis Echeverria and Jose Lopez Portillo, made political reforms and opened the
door to the emergence of new political parties.
•In the late 1970s, oil was
discovered in Mexico.
•The sale of oil increased and the government became
more dependent on oil revenues.
•The government was forced to adopt new
economic policies.
•One of these policies was privatization, the sale of
government-owned companies to private firms.
•The debt crisis and rising
unemployment increased dissatisfaction with the government.
•Support for the PRI dropped.
•In 2000, Vicente Fox defeated the PRI candidate for the
presidency.
the cuban revolution
On January 3, 1959, Fidel Castro seized Havana(Cuba's capital) and overthrew the
government. Relation between Cuba and the U.S. quickly deteriorated when Castro
regime began to receive aid from the Soviet Union.
In October 1960, the U.S. declared a trade embargo, prohibiting
trade with Cuba. On January 3, 1961, the U.S. broke all diplomatic relations with Cuba.
In April 1961, Kennedy decided to attack Cuba, but the invasion at the Bay of
Pigs failed.
In December 1961, Castro declared himself a Marxist. In 1962,
the Soviet Union began to put missiles in Cuba, the crisis caused Castro to
realize that the Soviet Union had been unreliable.
Castro’s strategy that the Cubans would have to start a social
revolution in the rest of Latin America in order to survive by encouraging the
peasants to overthrow the old regimes, however, failed.
After that, Castro’s Marxist regime continued, and the Cuban
people did secure some social gains. However, the Cuban economy continued to
rely on the product and sale of sugar, and forced to depend on Soviet aid.
government. Relation between Cuba and the U.S. quickly deteriorated when Castro
regime began to receive aid from the Soviet Union.
In October 1960, the U.S. declared a trade embargo, prohibiting
trade with Cuba. On January 3, 1961, the U.S. broke all diplomatic relations with Cuba.
In April 1961, Kennedy decided to attack Cuba, but the invasion at the Bay of
Pigs failed.
In December 1961, Castro declared himself a Marxist. In 1962,
the Soviet Union began to put missiles in Cuba, the crisis caused Castro to
realize that the Soviet Union had been unreliable.
Castro’s strategy that the Cubans would have to start a social
revolution in the rest of Latin America in order to survive by encouraging the
peasants to overthrow the old regimes, however, failed.
After that, Castro’s Marxist regime continued, and the Cuban
people did secure some social gains. However, the Cuban economy continued to
rely on the product and sale of sugar, and forced to depend on Soviet aid.
Upheaval in central america
Seven countries make up what we know as Latin America: Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Panama, Belize, and Guatemala. These countries have been dependent on the export of goods especially bananas, coffee, and cotton; later resulting in an economic crisis. Factors such as a separation between classes have also been a cause of economic instability.
Unites States had long lived in fear of communism expansion which led them to meddle and create repressive regimes in these countries, especially in El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Panama.
EL SALVADOR
After World War II, much of El Salvador was run and controlled by the military and the wealthy, and in 1972, the army refused the results of free elections. During the 1970-80's, El Salvador was struck by a civil war that was being fought between socialist like groups, right-wing groups and leftist guerrillas. It was in this time that the United States had began to get involved by providing supplies and armaments to the Salvadorian army to defeat the guerrillas. José Duarte came to leadership in 1984, when he was elected president, but the elections did not stop the mass killing of people let alone savage killing. A peace settlement in 1992 finally brought the civil war to an end, but the lost lives of 75,000 people were not forgotten.
NICARAGUA
In 1937, the Somoza family had taken control and had kept control for 42 years. The United States had supported the Somoza regime for most of the time period. Terror and murder was used to avoid opposition by the Somozas, and they considered themselves to be 'the nation's expense'.
During the presidency of Jimmy Carter in 1979, the United States began to be more and more unwilling to support this terrible regime and many victories were won to end this terrible regime in that same year. The Sandinista National Liberation, a Marxist guerrilla force, won many military victories and eventually gained control of the country. With a country stricken by poverty, the contras came to oppose the policies of the Sandinista. They began to try and overthrow the government, and eventually won the support of the Reagan and Bush administrations in the United States. In 1990, free elections were granted to the citizens by the Sandinistas, and then lost to a coalition led by Violeta Barrios de Chamorro. Despite the loss the Sandinistas endured in 2001, they have been remembered as one of the strongest parties in Nicaragua.
PANAMA
Breaking away from Colombia, Panama became a nation in 1903 with the help of the United States. To repay them for their help, the United States was a huge influence on the nation, particularly in the economy and government, and the US was able to build the Panama Canal.
Power came to the military leaders of Panama's National Guard in 1968. Manuel Noriega came to power in 1983, and was supported by the United States, but his cruelty and drag trade involvement turned United States away from him and his rule. US troops were sent into Panama to seize Noriega during the presidency of George Bush in 1989. Noriega was later placed in prison on US soil with charges of drug trafficking.
Unites States had long lived in fear of communism expansion which led them to meddle and create repressive regimes in these countries, especially in El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Panama.
EL SALVADOR
After World War II, much of El Salvador was run and controlled by the military and the wealthy, and in 1972, the army refused the results of free elections. During the 1970-80's, El Salvador was struck by a civil war that was being fought between socialist like groups, right-wing groups and leftist guerrillas. It was in this time that the United States had began to get involved by providing supplies and armaments to the Salvadorian army to defeat the guerrillas. José Duarte came to leadership in 1984, when he was elected president, but the elections did not stop the mass killing of people let alone savage killing. A peace settlement in 1992 finally brought the civil war to an end, but the lost lives of 75,000 people were not forgotten.
NICARAGUA
In 1937, the Somoza family had taken control and had kept control for 42 years. The United States had supported the Somoza regime for most of the time period. Terror and murder was used to avoid opposition by the Somozas, and they considered themselves to be 'the nation's expense'.
During the presidency of Jimmy Carter in 1979, the United States began to be more and more unwilling to support this terrible regime and many victories were won to end this terrible regime in that same year. The Sandinista National Liberation, a Marxist guerrilla force, won many military victories and eventually gained control of the country. With a country stricken by poverty, the contras came to oppose the policies of the Sandinista. They began to try and overthrow the government, and eventually won the support of the Reagan and Bush administrations in the United States. In 1990, free elections were granted to the citizens by the Sandinistas, and then lost to a coalition led by Violeta Barrios de Chamorro. Despite the loss the Sandinistas endured in 2001, they have been remembered as one of the strongest parties in Nicaragua.
PANAMA
Breaking away from Colombia, Panama became a nation in 1903 with the help of the United States. To repay them for their help, the United States was a huge influence on the nation, particularly in the economy and government, and the US was able to build the Panama Canal.
Power came to the military leaders of Panama's National Guard in 1968. Manuel Noriega came to power in 1983, and was supported by the United States, but his cruelty and drag trade involvement turned United States away from him and his rule. US troops were sent into Panama to seize Noriega during the presidency of George Bush in 1989. Noriega was later placed in prison on US soil with charges of drug trafficking.