|
Showing 1 - 8 of
8 matches in All Departments
This book expertly traces the long, erratic, and incomplete path of
Latin America's political and socioeconomic democratization, from a
group of colonies lacking democratic practice and culture up to the
present. Using the lens of democracy defined by the charter of the
Organization of American States (OAS), it examines the periods of
US gunboat diplomacy in the Caribbean Basin, the Cold War, the
state terrorist dictatorships of the 1970s and 1980s, the
imposition of neoliberalism in the 1990s, and the rise of the Pink
Tide in the new millennium. The meaning of democracy has changed
over time, from nineteenth-century liberalism--in which only a
handful of wealthy males voted and individuals were responsible for
their economic and social conditions--to governments in the late
twentieth century that have embraced socioeconomic democracy by
assuming responsibility (at least formally) for citizens' welfare.
Latin America's movement toward democracy has not been linear. The
book follows the appearance and evolution of both proponents and
opponents of democracy over the last two centuries. The balance of
these forces has shifted periodically, often in waves that swept
across the entire region. Commitment to democracy does not
guarantee implementation, but despite many setbacks, Latin America
has made significant progress toward the democratic aspirations set
forth in the OAS charter. Thorough and accessibly written,
Democracy in Latin America is an essential text for students
studying Latin American politics and history.
An in-depth explanation of how the Cuban Revolution dictated Latin
American politics and U.S.-Latin American relations from the 1950s
to the present, including widespread democratization and the rise
of the "Pink Tide." Fidel Castro's ascent to power and the
revolution he carried out in Cuba not only catalyzed a wave of
revolutionary activity; it also set off a wave of reaction that led
to widespread military dictatorships and severe repression
culminating in state terrorism. Both revolution and reaction were
essentially over by 1990, and yet significant long-term effects of
the Cuban Revolution can still be seen in the modern era. Latin
America in the Era of the Cuban Revolution covers the events of the
Cuban Revolution itself, the resulting radicalization of Latin
American politics, the United States' responses to the threat of
communist expansion in the hemisphere, and rural and urban
guerrilla warfare that were spawned by the Cuban Revolution. It
also addresses the very different but incomplete revolutions in
Peru, Chile, and Nicaragua, the rise of state terrorism in response
to the threat of revolution, and major developments after 1990.
This book provides unique historical insights by bringing together
under the umbrella of the impact of the Cuban Revolution
developments that otherwise might seem unrelated to each other,
thereby documenting the relationship between revolution and
reaction. This third edition has three new chapters covering state
terrorism in South America; state terrorism in Central America; and
post-1990 developments such as neoliberalism, an unprecedented
degree of democratization, the "Pink Tide" of leftist governments
like those of Hugo Chávez in Venezuela and Evo Morales in Bolivia;
and women's major gains in politics. Additionally, all of the
chapters and the bibliography are updated.
This book expertly traces the long, erratic, and incomplete path of
Latin America's political and socioeconomic democratization, from a
group of colonies lacking democratic practice and culture up to the
present. Using the lens of democracy defined by the charter of the
Organization of American States (OAS), it examines the periods of
US gunboat diplomacy in the Caribbean Basin, the Cold War, the
state terrorist dictatorships of the 1970s and 1980s, the
imposition of neoliberalism in the 1990s, and the rise of the Pink
Tide in the new millennium. The meaning of democracy has changed
over time, from nineteenth-century liberalism--in which only a
handful of wealthy males voted and individuals were responsible for
their economic and social conditions--to governments in the late
twentieth century that have embraced socioeconomic democracy by
assuming responsibility (at least formally) for citizens' welfare.
Latin America's movement toward democracy has not been linear. The
book follows the appearance and evolution of both proponents and
opponents of democracy over the last two centuries. The balance of
these forces has shifted periodically, often in waves that swept
across the entire region. Commitment to democracy does not
guarantee implementation, but despite many setbacks, Latin America
has made significant progress toward the democratic aspirations set
forth in the OAS charter. Thorough and accessibly written,
Democracy in Latin America is an essential text for students
studying Latin American politics and history.
This book offers an innovative, thematic approach to the history of
Latin America since independence. It traces continuity and change
in colonial legacies that became central political issues following
independence: authoritarian governance; a rigid social hierarchy
based on race, color, and gender; the powerful Roman Catholic
Church; economic dependency; and the large landed estate.
Generally, liberals have sought to modify or abolish these legacies
in the interest of what they consider progress, while conservatives
have attempted to preserve them as much as possible as bastions of
their power and privilege. Examining the evolution of these
colonial legacies across two centuries reveals the processes that
formed the political systems, economies, societies, and religious
institutions that characterize Latin America today.
Set in the larger context of the evolution of international human
rights, this cogent book examines the tragic development and
ultimate resolution of Latin America's human rights crisis of the
1970s and 1980s. Thomas Wright focuses especially on state
terrorism in Chile under General Augusto Pinochet (1973 1990) and
in Argentina during the Dirty War (1976 1983). The author probes
the background of these regimes, the methodology of state
terrorism, and the human rights movements that emerged in urgent
response to the brutality of institutionalized torture, murder, and
disappearance. He also discusses the legacies of state terrorism in
the post-dictatorial period, particularly the bitter battle between
demands for justice and the military's claim of impunity. Central
to this struggle was the politics of memory as two radically
different versions of the countries' recent history clashed: had
the militaries conducted legitimate wars against subversion or had
they exercised terrorism based on a misguided concept of national
security? The book offers a nuanced exploration of the reciprocal
relationship between state terrorism and its legacies, on one hand,
and international human rights on the other. When the Chilean and
Argentine militaries seized power, the international human rights
lobby was too weak to prevent the massive toll of state terrorism.
But the powerful worldwide response to these regimes ultimately
strengthened international human rights treaties, institutions, and
jurisprudence, paving the way for the Rwanda and Yugoslavia
genocide tribunals and the International Criminal Court. Indeed,
Chile and Argentina today routinely try and convict former
repressors in their own courts. This compelling history
demonstrates that the experiences of Chile and Argentina
contributed to strengthening the international human rights
movement, which in turn gave it the influence to affect the outcome
in these two South American countries. Ironically, the brutal
regimes of Chile and Argentina played the major role in
transforming a largely dormant international lobby into a powerful
force that today is capable of bringing major repressors from
anywhere in the world to justice. These intertwined themes make
this book important reading not only for Latin Americanists but for
students of human rights and of international relations as well."
Set in the larger context of the evolution of international human
rights, this cogent book examines the tragic development and
ultimate resolution of Latin America's human rights crisis of the
1970s and 1980s. Thomas Wright focuses especially on state
terrorism in Chile under General Augusto Pinochet (1973 1990) and
in Argentina during the Dirty War (1976 1983). The author probes
the background of these regimes, the methodology of state
terrorism, and the human rights movements that emerged in urgent
response to the brutality of institutionalized torture, murder, and
disappearance. He also discusses the legacies of state terrorism in
the post-dictatorial period, particularly the bitter battle between
demands for justice and the military's claim of impunity. Central
to this struggle was the politics of memory as two radically
different versions of the countries' recent history clashed: had
the militaries conducted legitimate wars against subversion or had
they exercised terrorism based on a misguided concept of national
security? The book offers a nuanced exploration of the reciprocal
relationship between state terrorism and its legacies, on one hand,
and international human rights on the other. When the Chilean and
Argentine militaries seized power, the international human rights
lobby was too weak to prevent the massive toll of state terrorism.
But the powerful worldwide response to these regimes ultimately
strengthened international human rights treaties, institutions, and
jurisprudence, paving the way for the Rwanda and Yugoslavia
genocide tribunals and the International Criminal Court. Indeed,
Chile and Argentina today routinely try and convict former
repressors in their own courts. This compelling history
demonstrates that the experiences of Chile and Argentina
contributed to strengthening the international human rights
movement, which in turn gave it the influence to affect the outcome
in these two South American countries. Ironically, the brutal
regimes of Chile and Argentina played the major role in
transforming a largely dormant international lobby into a powerful
force that today is capable of bringing major repressors from
anywhere in the world to justice. These intertwined themes make
this book important reading not only for Latin Americanists but for
students of human rights and of international relations as well."
Universal human rights standards were adopted in 1948, but in the
1970s and 1980s, violent dictatorships in Argentina and Chile
flagrantly defied the new protocols. Chilean general Augusto
Pinochet and the Argentine military employed state terrorism in
their quest to eradicate Marxism and other forms of "subversion."
Pinochet constructed an iron shield of impunity for himself and the
military in Chile, while in Argentina, military pressure resulted
in laws preventing prosecution for past human rights violations.
When democracy was reestablished in both countries by 1990, justice
for crimes against humanity seemed beyond reach. Thomas C. Wright
examines how persistent advocacy by domestic and international
human rights groups, evolving legal environments, unanticipated
events that impacted public opinion, and eventual changes in
military leadership led to a situation unique in the world-the
stripping of impunity not only from a select number of commanders
of the repression but from all those involved in state terrorism in
Chile and Argentina. This has resulted in trials conducted by
national courts, without United Nations or executive branch
direction, in which hundreds of former repressors have been
convicted and many more are indicted or undergoing trial. Impunity,
Human Rights, and Democracy draws on extensive research, including
interviews, to trace the erosion and collapse of the former
repressors' impunity-a triumph for human rights advocates that has
begun to inspire authorities in other Latin American countries,
including Peru, Uruguay, Brazil, and Guatemala, to investigate past
human rights violations and prosecute their perpetrators.
This innovative text offers a clear and concise introduction to
Latin America since independence. Thomas C. Wright traces
continuity and change in five central colonial legacies:
authoritarian governance; a rigid social hierarchy based on race,
color, and gender; the powerful Roman Catholic Church; economic
dependency; and the large landed estate. He shows that the outcomes
of debate and contestation over these colonial legacies have been
crucial in shaping contemporary political systems, economies,
societies, and religious institutions in a richly diverse region.
These unifying themes guide the reader through each period. The
text's user-friendly illustrations, maps, chapter summaries, and
suggestions for further reading enrich student understanding of a
major part of the world.
|
|