Colonialism,
Dictatorship, and Revolution
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Most
of the countries in Central America are considered to be the least developed
areas in a developing world.
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Central
America developed plantation economies which then affects or play s with
socioeconomic change and political transition.
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From
Guatemala to Panama 10,000 volcanoes surround the mountain range.
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Most
of the soil is fertile and the climate is warm and cool.
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Although
there is large array of rivers, and bodies of water this areas is known for
torrential rains, hurricanes, and violent earthquakes.
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There
were many indigenous people lived within this area and traded with each other.
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A
lager civilization lived in the highlands of Guatemala and El Salvador after
500 B.C.
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Olmec
culture was an influence in this time from Veracruz-Tabaco coast of Mexico.
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Then
were Nahuatl and classical Mayan culture that appeared in the lowlands of Northern
Guatemala.
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The
Old Maya Empire appeared during A.D. 600 to 900.
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Within
the 1500’s-mid-1600’s much of this region became the viceroyalty of New Spain.
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The
Spaniards invaded this area thus built town councils or (ayuntamientos).
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By
the late 1700’s mining became small scale organization.
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The
major export was cacao. Then indigo, and finally tobacco became the major
trade.
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The
social structure consisted of the peninsulares, the imperial court or audencia
and then the criollos, the born landholders. The labor force consisted of the
Indians and African slaves. The mixed-bloods or the ladinos worked as wage
laborers or small farmers in the countryside.
Panama
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In
1878 the government of Colombia let a French group under the direction of
Ferdinand de Lesseps who built the Suez Canal to dig a route through Panama.
They wanted to create an inter-oceanic canal, but ended up not digging it
through the financial instability of 1893.
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Near
the end of the Thousand Days war in 1903, The de Lesseps chief engineer pushed
for the construction of the canal.
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With
the acknowledgement of Roosevelt, de Lesseps, and the United States signed a
treaty that pushed the construction of the canal.
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In
1914 the canal opened and became international waterway.
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Through
1903 and 1968 there were many efforts between Panamanians and North Americans to
make wage rates equal based on the economy that was coming in because of the construction
of the canal.
Costa
Rica
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Seem
to be of minimal economic interest to Spain.
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1830’s
became a coffee cultivation plantation.
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United
Fruit established banana plantations on the east coast in the late 19th
and early 20th century.
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This
lead to the country’s leading export: bananas.
Nicaragua
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The
Sandinistas were the emerging group by the late 70’s.
o
The
wanted to implement an independent and nonaligned foreign policy
o
This
meant they would not submit to the U.S. anymore
o
This
lead to a mixed economy and to achieve socioeconomic justice
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This
continued because in 1980 the “Marxist Sandinista takeover of Nicaragua, the
United intervened so they could undermine the group.
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The
U.S. launched an embargo pushing the Sandinistas into greater dependence on
Cuba and the Soviet Union.
Honduras
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Still
is seen as a country with economic and political weakness.
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Stereotypically
known as the “banana republic” because of the United Fruit business.
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In
the 1960’s, El Salvador was heavily populated, and there were no jobs.
o
390
persons per square mile in E.S.
o
55
persons per square mile in Honduras.
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People
from E.S. went to look for work in Honduras, and Salvadorians were resented.
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1963,
a law did not allow hiring more than 10 % of the foreigners (Salvadorans)
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1968,
decree did not let Salvadorans from gaining title to any Honduran land
El
Salvador
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1880’s,
legal decrees did not allow collective ownership of the land by Indian
communities. This lead to the consolidation of land by the las catorce familias, which then expanded in size.
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Coffee
became the leading export crop.
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From
1907-1931 the Melendez clan basically had all power.
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Revolts
by peasants were underway from 1870-1900
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1929
crash affected the prices of coffee dropped
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May
Day 1930, 80,000 held demonstrations in downtown San Salvador against the
deteriorating wages and living conditions.
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January
1932, chain of volcanoes erupted. Indians armed with machetes killed landlord
and created a revolt. All of this was committed under the Agustin Farabundo
Marti.
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This
lead to 10,000 and 20,000 Salvadoran deaths.
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Working
conditions worsened after this: coffee exports thrived, but the poor were not
in luck. 80 % lived in countryside.
o
By
1975, 40 % of those people had no land compared to 12 % in 1960.
o
This
led to the rebel of the campesinos.
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Religion
comes into play and so the bishops call for more education, social awareness,
and creation of comunidades de base.
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Not
much luck, Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero is killed.
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Then
government repression rises and so there are 1K Salvadorans killed a month.
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More
deaths occurred after this…
Guatemala
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Lots
of dictatorship ruling: Barrios, Cabrera. Cabrera being the longest ruling:
1898-1920.
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Did
not completely rely on coffee, abolished debt slavery.
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1950,
Arbenz took presidency
o
Aimed
at creating a “feudal economy into a modern capitalist state” this would better
the way of living. This lead to the creation of the agrarian reform.
o
He
pushed for the expansion of public works, exploitation of energy resources: petroleum.
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Agrarian
reform basically allowed and gave power to the government to expropriate
uncultivated portions of large plantations.
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Guatemala
was considered to be part of the Soviet takeover of the Panama Canal. Had ties
to Panama.
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Leaders/Presidents
continued to change, they changed the system, and things remained the same.
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