Latin America

Economic Trends

• Import-substitution led industrialization

• “local industries are developed to replace the need to import manufactured goods.

• But Latin America still depended on foreign for investment, technology, loans and military support

Social Trends

• Elite land ownership created class warfare between the rich and poor

• Liberation Theology-– The church is active in the

struggle for economic and social equality

• Urbanization– Created food, housing and

safe drinking water shortages

Cuba Guatemala, El Salvador & Nicaragua

Argentina

JailynKaraChristianChayse

SamNikkiBriannaGabi

DaltonAbby C.Abby H.Chelsea

Brazil & Chile Haiti, Panama, Peru Mexico

NathanMadelineAlexaFahad

JacobKatieToriAusten

Ally StevenJohnGrant Sarah

Cuba Guatemala, El Salvador & Nicaragua

Argentina

DomKodyPaulaKennedy

TylerRyanHannahKayla

JaredBrianaDanChase

Brazil & Chile Haiti, Panama, Peru

Mexico

MarthaNicoleShelbyMichaela

StevenJamiePJJoe

SavannahBridgetMike

Cuba Guatemala, El Salvador & Nicaragua

Argentina

Nicole BNicolle HChelseaGaby

JaredJonahJess Kylise

MadisonJakobBobJackie

Brazil & Chile Haiti, Panama, Peru

Mexico

BroganVasiaLaurenDavid

OliviaCandanceChaimAlli

KaylaBaileyShelby

Cuba

* Geography Activity

Cause Effect

There was a corrupt dictator in power (Batista)

Castro took full control of the government

Private business owners had sugar and tobacco crops for exports

Very little food crops were left for the general public

Dependent on the United States Wealthy Americans and Cubans owned many hotels and casinos. This left little property available for the native Cubans.

Guatemala, El Salvador

& Nicaragua

* Primary Source

Activity

Country Cause Effect

Guatemala The president (Jacob Arbenz) was taking land that the fruit company owned to give to peasants.

The CIA stepped in and overthrew Arbenz. They replaced him with a military dictator which upset the people who revolted.

El Salvador Oscar Romero’s assassination caused a civil war between the communist sponsored government and the army

The United States stepped in and helped the army by financing the military.

Nicaragua The Somoza’s owned most of the land and ruled unfairly.

The Sandinistas took power and the U.S. sent the Contras to take the Sandinistas out but the Contras lost.

Argentina • Create a list of pros and cons of Juan Person rule.

• What was Argentina's “dirty war”? What impact did it have on the country? The “dirty war” was to uncover and get dissidents. Many families

wondered what happened to their loved ones because many of them were kidnapped in the middle of the night and later tortured or killed.

– Biography Reading

Pros Cons

He built schools, hospitals and homeless shelters

Failed to industrialize, especially in with cattle and wheat

Supported the rights of the common people

Took away personal freedoms from the people

Created minimum wage and 8 hour work days

During his reign there was a rise in inflation, foreign debt, and unemployment.

Brazil & Chile • What was the cause of Brazils economic problems? What impact

did this have on the country?– The cause of Brazil’s economic problems was hyperinflation and debt.

This impacted the country because by 1990, the inflation rate was more than 2,500%. Hyperinflation is when the value of money decreases rapidly. This happened in Brazil because rulers borrowed money for the creation of industries but did not make enough money to pay it back.

• Explain how Chile became a dictatorship? What impact did this have on the people? – Chile became a dictatorship because the economy failed and many

people turned against Allende. Then he was killed. A military leader, Augusto Pinchot created a military and then became president. Ge destroyed the opposition, and promoted capitalism. This impacted the people because many were killed, arrested and tortured so they fled.

Haiti, Panama, Peru

• How did dictators rise to power in each nation? What did each have In common?

Country How did dictators rise to power?

What did each have in common?

Haiti Francois Duvalier was elected in 1957, when he died his son gained power. Later Jean-Bertrand Artiside was elected after Duvalier’s worsened the economy.

•All faced economic struggles•All abused their power•All repressed opposition•All faced an end to their ruling

Panama Manuel Noriega was elected and used brutal methods to get rid of any enemies.

Peru Alberto Fujimori was elected when the Shinning Path (guerilla group) terrorized the countryside.

Democratic Reforms in Latin America

Dictatorships failed because • They did not make needed social and

economic reforms• Poverty, malnutrition, and infant mortality • They did not bring peace and stability– Death squads used

• Civil rights were denied for so long people eventually demanded change

Democratic Reforms in Latin America

Peaceful Transition:• Internal and external pressure to change• International Monetary Fund, World Bank, large

corporations would no longer give loans to corrupt governments

• Organization of American States called for voting rights and political opposition to be restored

• Democracy came to– Brazil in the 1970’s– Argentina in 1982– Chile in 1990

Mexico • What was the PRI?

– Institutional Revolutionary Party, ruled Mexico for 70 years with no opposition.

• What were the major crises facing Mexico, in chronological order, that led to the end of one-party rule?– 1968: Police open fire on peaceful protesters– 1980: World oil prices fell– 1985: Major earthquake destroyed large parts of Mexico City –

unemployment is high– 1992: Mexico, U.S. & Canada sign NAFTA– 1994: Uprising in Chicpas to change currency– 1997: Opposition parties won a number of seats in congress– 2000: Voters ended PRI rule

Economic Reforms in Latin America• Drastically cutting government spending• Ending some government subsidies of

business• Selling government services to private

enterprise• Returning inefficient, government controlled

businesses to private ownership• Strengthening regional trade agreements and

establishing new ones

How would you describe Latin America’s growth in GDP per

capita based on the information in this graph?

Exit Ticket

• Compare and contrast two Latin American countries based on either their government or economy.