The contemporary political history of Latin America

Hartford Web Publishing is not the author of the documents in World History Archives and does not presume to validate their accuracy or authenticity nor to release their copyright.

Toward a Democratic Left
A review of Zamora's article in NACLA, from the Democracy Backgrounder, 6 September 1995. Rubn Zamora's essay offers an important critical perspective on the democratization process in Latin America. Like most progressive political scientists, he condemns the attempt by neoliberals to equate markets with democracy.
Catholic Fundamentalism in Latin America
Viewpoint by Gary Weston, 19 September 1995. Opus dei used by Latin American governments to block social progress.
The Military in Latin America
Proceso 684, Editorial, 1 November 1995. Role of military in Latin American poltiical life strong starting in the mid-60s reign of bureaucratic authoritarian regimes. The post-World War II period saw the rise of military Pan-Americanism, an economic, political and ideological program to counter with the backing of the U.S. (Rio Treaty) the Latin-American working class.
Tuxtla II Conference
Central America Update, March 1996. Central America's presidents met in San Jose with President Ernesto Zedillo of Mexico for two days of discussions of regional cooperation between Mexico and Central America.
Is Latin America heading for a new era of dictatorship and repression?
By Phil Davison, The Independent, 15 April 1998. Democratic progress is stuttering in Latin America. Some say the US turns a blind eye to threats to democracy in deference to economic stability and because of pressure from the US arms industry. Latin America's democratic caesars ran their nations at the turn of the century, usually backed by the US, beholden to big business and adamant that their citizens were better off if they remained in power.
Socialism's Dead
By Roger Burbach, NACLA Report on the Americas, November/December 1998. Here a social-democratic perspective. Radical grassroots movements have by not disappeared, but few enunciate socialist goals. Can socialism be reborn? And if so, what might it look like? U.S. imperialism has been very flexible and adaptive, but capitalism in recent years has undergone an epochal shift with globalization that creates new opportunities.
Castro Strengthens Vital Ties with Colombia, Venezuela
By Dalia Acosta, IPS, 18 January 1999. For the Cuban government inserts itself into the region against continued U.S. attempts to isolate it is significant because Colombia and Venezuela comprise, along with Mexico, the Group of Three.
Union busting and kalashnikovs
By Luc Demaret, ICFTU OnLine..., 6 June 1998. Latin America remains the most dangerous region in the world for trade unionists. Results of an ICFTU survey. No real progress in Central America's export processing zones.
Transnational terror & the Latin American Dictators
Marina Menendez Quintero, Tricontinental Magazine (Havana), 8 October 1999. New democratic governments in Latin America share the same basic political agenda as the old dictatorships. Polarization of Chilean society over Operation Condor.
The neoliberal disorder
By Ernesto Herrera, International Viewpoint, 17 October 1999. The balance of forces in Latin America is changing, leading to a generalised crisis of government. After years of neoliberalism, the landscape is changing again. Massive popular resistance changing the political strategies of most of the continent's left. Recent wave of social explosions, strikes, land occupations, protest marches and violent confrontations.