Military Dictatorships in Latin America Brazil, Chile and Argentina Why and how did these dictatorships come to power? What were the consequences of these dictatorships?

Socio-economic problems in Latin America Adult illiteracy Low GDP per Capita Land ownership High urban rents Unemployment and underemployment Lack of economic development Lack of economic diversity The role of the Catholic Church Income inequality Racial divides

Different Types of Government in Latin America: self-serving despots Fulgencio Batista Rafael Trujilo

Different Types of Government in Latin America: elected left-wingers Salvador Allende Jacobo Arbenz

Different Types of Government in Latin America: populists Getulio Vargas Juan Peron

Evaluation of the effectiveness of despots, left-wingers and populists Despots were unquestionably loyal to the USA but catered to a tiny elite and increasingly ‘eccentric’; this rendered them ineffective and were ultimately abandoned by the US Left-wingers were vehemently opposed by conservative social and economic elites (supported by the US); their election often polarized local populations and eventually became the victims of military coup d’etats Populists, although they managing to unify different strands of society for long periods, were often targeted by extremists on both sides and of spectrum and were riddled with corruption. Ultimately, they could not maintain their support base.

Why did so many Latin American countries resort to military dictatorships in the 1960’s and ’70’s? Fear of radical reform Increasing instability Desire to remain pro-US

Brazil in 1964 Had been ruled by Joao Goulart since 1961 He was an elected left-winger who replaced moderate conservative Janio Quandros Social and economic elites feared Goulart would initiate radical land reform (he had already reached out to communist states like Cuba, China and the USSR) Brazilian society was already very polarized in a way that was very common in Latin America at this time Peasant leagues (ligas), trade unionists and students were particularly vocal in demanding reform

Chile in 1973 Salvador Allende was elected by a slim majority in 1970 Immediately, he was opposed by economic and social elites who feared radical land and economic reform The CIA covertly organized truck driver strikes which caused huge food shortages and inflation, paralyzing the country Copper companies and multinationals cut back on production adding further stress on the economy Students and intellectuals pressed for reforms while some peasants and workers took control of land and factories without government authorization, enacting reforms from below

Argentina in 1976 Juan Peron returned from exile in 1973 and led the Peronistas into power but refused to unite the different factions within the movement In fact he began to side with far-right/fascist side of the Peronist movement, whose disintegration foreshadowed national instability Upon his death in 1974, his wife Isabel took power but was essentially a puppet for the right wing of the party Prior to her removal by the military in 1976, her government was characterized by guerrilla warfare between far-right paramilitary death squads and marxist rebels

How did the military seize power in Brazil, Argentina and Chile? All removed civilian rulers by coup d’etat The military rulers who replaced them were different from military officers of the past- they studied the social and economic conditions of their countries Many officers from across the region attended the same military training facilities (Inter-American Military System) run by OAS, including the School of the Americas Brazil’s move to absolute dictatorship was gradual, while Chile’s and Argentina’s were immediate

What were the effects of these dictatorships? Abandonment of Import-Substitution Industrialization (ISI) policies and embracement of Milton Friedman’s supply side economics (Minimal government regulation, low taxes, less government spending) Suppression of civil liberties and democracy Government-sponsored terrorism to remove dissent- kidnappings, murders, detainment and torture

Government repression Brazil: 200 killed, 10,000 forced into exile and 50,000 detained and tortured Chile: 3,200 killed, 80,000 detained and 30,000 tortured Argentina: 30,000 ‘disappeared’ as part of the ‘Dirty War’

Economic Legacy There were economic recoveries in Brazil and Chile but these recoveries were unequal The results in Argentina were more mixed: the sudden exposure of foreign competition to Argentine industry (for so long protected by government subsidies and protectionism by ISI) reduced growth All three governments reduced wages, social spending, taxation and government regulation, making their countries more attractive to foreign investment The results of their economic policies has been increased economic inequality, exacerbating age-old socio-economic issues common to the region

How did these countries return to civilian rule? Argentina: Human rights abuses exposed by the Madres de Plaza de Mayo. Together with stagflation by the end of the 1970’s, this grassroots protest movement encouraged further resistance. The invasion of the Malvinas in 1982 was an attempt to garner nationalist support but a quick defeat to the UK created further financial problems and led to the collapse of military rule by 1983 Brazil: Military rulers recognized economic failures and promised ‘distensão’- a gradual return to civilian by 1985 Chile: The end of the Cold War saw a withdrawal of US support and pressure for free elections, which Pinochet lost, in 1989