LATIN AMERICAN POLITICAL POLITICS AND HISTORY

Latin American Political History

Latin American Political History

Introduction

Latin America today enjoys a degree of democratic rule it is in part because of the political left's existence and its struggle against decades of dictatorship. Likewise if many nations created ramshackle corrupt and inefficient? but at least partly functioning welfare states to protect part of the population from poverty and inequality this was also a product of the left's influence. Despite twenty years of aggregate economic growth (1960-1980)?

Latin America today is not much better off than it was in the 1950's. During the 1980's and through the beginning of the 1990's? Latin America suffered its worst economic and social crisis since the great depression of the 1930's.

In early 1980's 120 million Latin Americans or 39% of the region's population lived in poverty. By 1985 the number had grown to 170 million? by 1990 the figure had grown to an estimated 240 million living in poverty. Social injustices abounded. For the last 50 years Latin America as lived through a sustained period of economic and social deprivation. With the exception of the US sponsored military dictatorships in Central America? one-party dictatorship of Mexico? and Cuba? the rest of the nations of Latin America went through a a process of democratization where democracies replaced dictatorship. (Smith? P.? & Ziegler? M. 2008.)

Discussion

Brazil and Uruguay are one of the most famous and well-known countries of Latin America. Brazil is the largest country in South America, while Uruguay is the second smallest country of the continent. Both the regions were indigenously populated in the ancient times until in the 15th century European explorers discovered the region to the modern world. They, after discovering the vast resources of the continent decided to occupy the area and as a result Brazil became a Portuguese colony while Uruguay was disputed between Argentina and Brazil.

In the early 19th century many South American nation achieved independence and in these early days law and order situation was not good enough and their was not complete control of the newly born governments on all parts and provinces of the country. In this circumstances those military leaders who fought in the struggle of independence got chance to found their own states within the state. In the same manner they not only persisted in maintaining there own freedom in their ranches and land, but in order to keep the central government in control they some time also passed threatening implications to it and when they realize that the government is not promoting there interests they were the first to engage and start revolt against her and than time came when countries like Brazil and Uruguay were completely dominated by these warlord all the civilian institution and political parties were under their control.

In Uruguay in the beginning the thinking of unity prevailed in the political society this idea inspired the administrations of Juan Francisco Giró (1852-53), Gabriel Pereira (1856-60), and Bernardo Berro (1860-64). But very soon the caudillos started their interference and ...