Cold War in Latin America Civil War in

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

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 sugar coffee tobacco

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: • 19 th century conditions • 1920 s / 30 s – 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 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?

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 1980 s • 1980 s – 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 Chile: Coup ‘etat against Salvador Allende -- 1972 • 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 19 th century affect the Cold War conflicts in Latin America in the 20 th 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?