Cold War in Latin America The Cuban Revolution Civil War in El Salvador Coup in Guatemala - 1954 Coup against Salvador Allende – Chile The Nicaraguan Revolution Coup against Bosch – Dominican Republic

Dictators kept order so that the elite and the US / Western Why did peasants support revolutions in Cuba, Nicaragua and El Salvador? Socialist reforms in Chile? Dictatorships Dictators kept order so that the elite and the US / Western businesses could make profits (What constitutes “order” in this scenario? Uneven distribution of wealth Small elite> landowners US businesses> landowners Peasants>landless; seasonally employed How did monocultural economies affect peasants? Monocultural economies tobacco sugar coffee

Cuba U.S. = support for Fulgencio Batista (dictator) Cuban elite and US businesses held most of the wealth Majority of Cubans >> poverty / illiteracy Democratic government on paper only>> in reality Batista and other rulers> Dictators Fidel Castro led revolution vs. Batista (1956 – 1959) Attack on Moncada, 1952 “History Will Absolve Me” Castro initiated reforms Improved economy Literacy Health care Gender equality Nationalization – land, banks and industries To enforce reforms, Castro Suspended elections Targeted opponents Imposed censorship press

Castro, U.S. and Soviets Castro nationalized land, banks & industries Trade embargo by U.S. on Cuba 1961 -- Bay of Pigs invasion – US defeated 1962 – Castro declared himself a Communist ( see “Second Declaration of Havana”) Nikita Khrushchev used opportunity to assemble Soviet nuclear sites in Cuba >> Cuban Missile Crisis Cuban Missile Crisis subsided with agreement between Kennedy and Khrushchev What role did Cuba play in ending the Cuban Missile Crisis? What did that show about the role of “developing” nations in the Cold War?

The Nicaraguan Revolution: 1979 Causes: 19th century conditions 1920s / 30s – Augusto Cesar Sandino > killed after attempted reform movement Dictatorship under Anastasio Somoza deprived Nicaraguans of basic human rights Somoza was supported by the US because of Somoza’s / elite’s support for foreign investment and anti-communism Daniel Ortega led Sandinista’s in a Revolution in 1979

Why did the US see Daniel Ortega & the Sandinistas as a threat? Sandinista reforms: Mass education Land reform Healthcare Public works Nationalization of banks, businesses & land To enforce these reforms, the Sandinistas: Censored the press Put off elections Got support from Cuba & USSR How would the US most likely react To the Sandinista reforms?

Cold War-sponsored civil war in Nicaragua How would the US support for the Contra’s affect the Sandinista reforms? Cold War-sponsored civil war in Nicaragua

More Cold War Conflicts in Latin America El Salvador: Civil War in 1980s Chile: Coup ‘etat against Salvador Allende -- 1972 1980s – Farabundo Marti Front for National Liberation waged a guerilla war against the right-wing military government US intervened for the military gov’t. Resolution: peace negotiations for democracy / civilian rule 80,000 killed Election resulted in Salvador Allende as President Allende’s socialist democratic policies were not favored by rich Chilean elites nor by US (Film: Machuca) CIA and elites>> coup against Allende >> Augusto Pinochet >> military dictatorship >> torture, deaths, disappearances of thousands

Answer these questions: How did imperialism in the 19th century affect the Cold War conflicts in Latin America in the 20th century? How were the situations in Cuba and Nicaragua similar? Different? How were the problems of El Salvador similar to Nicaragua? Different? Was Allende a Communist? Why or why not?