The Cold War in Latin America 1945-1990 Revolution and Reaction under the umbrella of American hegemony

Today’s Lecture’s Themes Question of American Hegemony? Revolution and Counter-revolution (dominance of conservative forces). Political Economy of Latin America. Causes and Consequences of Political Violence.

Today’s Topics 1940s-1950s Guatemala. The Cuban Revolution/Missile Crisis. 1970s Chile. 1980s Central America.

Question of US Power and Latin American Independence Technically not colonized, but part of imperial order (external and internal). US power?

Question of US Power and Latin American Independence Technically not colonized, but part of imperial order (external and internal). US power? Need to account for continuity and change.

Cold War Guatemala

Cold War Guatemala Latin America’s 1944-1946 reform cycle. Democracy is socialized, socialism is democratized. Conservative forces: Army, landlords, church, industrial capitalists. 1944, October Revolution and Juan Jose Arevalo. 3 sins.

CIA Coup 1952, CIA draws up plans to remove President Arbenz. Carlos Castillo Armas. Eisenhower authorizes overthrow in 1953. “Three-pronged strategy”. Arbez overthrown in July 1954. Consequences: Polarization of Latin American politics, collapse of radical reformism, Guatemala plunged into 4 decades of violence and military rule.

Che Guevara “Cuba will not be Guatemala”.

The Cuban Revolution 1959-???

Background to the Cuban Revolution US dominance. Structural problems in economy. Fugencio Batista

Batista

Background to the Cuban Revolution US dominance. Structural problems in economy. Fugencio Batista. 1953, Castro storms Barracks, flees to Mexico in 1955.

Fidel Castro

The Cuban Revolution 1956, return of Castro. 1956-1959, agrarian socialism and guerrilla war. Castro’s ideology? 1959, Batista flees. Land reform and US resistance. 1961, Castro declares himself a Maxist.

The Cuba Missile Crisis, 1962

The Cuba Missile Crisis 1959, Castro’s rise and Cuban radicalism. 1961, “Pay of Pigs Fiasco”, “Operation Mongoose”. Spring of 1962, Khrushchev moves missiles into Cuba. Motives? Oct 14, U2 spy plane spots missiles, a week later quarantine. Soviet’s “blink”. US motivations? Khrushchev’s two letters. Removal of missiles, non-invasion pledge.

How Far to the Brink? Soviet capabilities on Cuba. Hawkishness of Kennedy’s circle. Castro and Che beg Khrushchev to initial nuclear war. American U2 spy plane shot down. “Strategic Depth Charge” of Soviet sub. Vasili Arkhipov. “The Man who Saved the World”.

Fog of War? What lessons does McNamara draw from the Cuban Missile Crisis? What Biases are in the film? What does it teach us about the Cold War?

Rightist Reaction and Political Violence Central America

Second Half Destruction of Chilean left. Civil Wars in central America (Nicaraguan Revolution, El Salvador, Guatemala).

Cold War Chile 1833, constitutional rule. Structural problems in 1960s economy. US role 1970, Salvador Allende elected

Allende’s rule (1970-1973) Campaign of nationalization. US sabotage. Increased economic turmoil.

The Overthrow of Allende March 1973, Allende gains power in elections. Augusto Pinochet.

The Overthrow of Allende March 1973, Allende gains power in elections. Augusto Pinochet. Sept 11, 1973, government is overthrown Allende commits suicide. Mass repression. Return of US Aid. Question of the “Chicago Boys” and “Chilean Miracle”.

The Nicaraguan Revolution And the Neo-conservative assault

The Sandinista Revolution US-backed National Guard. Samosa family. 1978, alienates Carter Admin and mass uprisings. Carter ambivalent. Sandinistas take power in 1979. Ideology?

The Reaganist Response Neo-conservatism

Jeane Kirkpatrick

The Reaganist Response Neo-conservatism. 1981, secret war and “Contras”. Economic sabotage. Congress and the Iran Contra Affair. Consequences: Revolution survives, but nation destroyed. 30,000 dead, 100,000 refugees, 50% of economy ravaged, and Contras turn to drug trade.

Civil War and Death Squads in El Salvador

El Salvador 1972, progressives win election, but military intervenes. Mass repression and radicalization of left. 6,000 guerrillas. 1979, civilian/military Junta is formed. Land reform saddled by Army and landlords’ terror. 1980s, US support crucial. Violence and terror: 70,000 killed. Ecocide.

Murder of Nuns

Death Squads

The Mayan Genocide

The Genocide of the Mayans 1966, reform collapses, left radicalizes. Mass repression throughout 60s and 70s Coca Cola. Luca Garcia, Riot Montt (1978-1983). 1954-1996, 200,000 Guatemalans are slaughtered. 80% indigenous, 93 percent committed by rightists. US/Israel connection.

The Genocide of the Mayans 1966, reform collapses, left radicalizes. Mass repression throughout 60s and 70s Coca Cola. Luca Garcia, Riot Montt (1978-1983). 1954-1996, 200,000 Guatemalans are slaughtered. 80% indigenous, 93 percent committed by rightists. US/Israel connection.

The Genocide of the Mayans 1966, reform collapses, left radicalizes. Mass repression throughout 60s and 70s Luca Garcia, Riot Montt (1978-1983). 1954-1996, 200,000 Guatemalans are slaughtered. 80% indigenous, 93 percent committed by rightists. US/Israel connection.