Latin American Issues in the 20th and 21st Centuries

Introduction

In addition to environmental issues, Latin America is also dealing with a number of other issues including the production and smuggling of illegal drugs, the impact of the Cuban Revolution and the impact and political outcomes of the Zapatista guerilla movement in Mexico.

The Production and Smuggling of Illegal Drugs

Drug distribution continues to be a major problem in Colombia, a holdover from the 20^th century. Drug dealers pay farmers large amounts of money to grow coca on their property. Coca leaves are used to make cocaine. Cocaine is then smuggled into and distributed illegally in the United States and Europe. Drug consumption in Latin America is relatively low, and the United States is the primary destination for these drugs. The drugs are illegally brought into the country from Colombia and Mexico primarily.

For the last decade, the United States has been funding Plan Colombia in an attempt to stop illegal drug production and distribution into the United States. Other actions such as the American anti-narcotics aid and the CIA have made attempts to control drug traffickers.

The Impact of the Cuban Revolution

Cuba is an island located directly south of the United States. Cuba's government has been unstable since the turn of the 20th century. In the mid 20th century, Cuba's economy relied on trade with the United States. Sugarcane was the country's largest export and resource. Also during this time, many Americans and American companies owned land in Cuba. By the late 1950's, there was significant change in Cuba's government. Fidel Castro, a Communist leader, became dictator of Cuba. He was very popular among the people and promised the citizens of Cuba that there would be change. Castro immediately declared all property belonging to Americans and Cubans now belonged to the Cuban government. Because of Castro's actions, and the Communist government he created in Cuba, the United States placed an embargo on Cuban goods. An embargo is a ban on goods that are exported from one country to another. In addition to the embargo, Americans were no longer allowed to travel to Cuba.

Latin America and Cuba

The Soviet Union soon became allies with Cuba. The Soviet Union was the United States' greatest threat during the Cold War era. In 1961, the United States invaded Cuba in an attempt overthrow the government. This invasion was known as the Bay of Pigs, and it was a huge failure for the United States.

In 1962, Cuba gave the Soviet Union permission to build a missile-launching complex in Cuba. The site was located only 90 miles away from the United States. President John F. Kennedy demanded that Cuba remove the missiles and threatened Cuba with military action. Cuba refused to remove the weapons. This led to a very tense time period between the US and Cuba known as the Cuban Missile Crisis. The threat of nuclear war created a widespread panic throughout the American public. Eventually, the Soviet Union complied with the United States and removed the missiles.

In 1991, the Communist Soviet Union collapsed. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the partnership they had with Cuba also fell. Cuba no longer traded military and economic goods with the Soviet Union. As a result, the Cuban economy crashed.

Today, relations between the United States and Cuba have continued to be strained and there continues to be an embargo on Cuban goods. However, most recently, the United States-Cuba relationship has opened to some degree.

Guerillas in Mexico

Mexico's population is widespread between wealthy and poor. The people that reside in the southern state of Chiapas are among Mexico's poorest residents and are of Mayan descent. The Chiapas is a region located in southwestern Mexico that borders the Pacific Ocean. Many of Chiapas' residents speak an indigenous language and most are small-scale farmers. When Mexico's leaders run for election or make public policy, they tend to ignore this group of people.

The Chiapas is a region located in southwestern Mexico that borders the Pacific Ocean. The land of the Chiapas is one of Mexico's wealthiest because of its natural resources including natural gas, oil, coffee, and hydroelectric power. These resources are sent north to fuel other Mexican states. Most of Chiapas is controlled by a few wealthy landowners. The landowners often act in ways that benefit themselves and not the best interests of the people.

Photo of the Zapatistas The Zapatistas are a group of people who support improved rights and living conditions for Mexico's indigenous population. The Zapatistas are known for harassing and sabotaging Mexico's government. In 1994, a group of Zapatistas led a protest against the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The Zapatistas believed that the NAFTA prevented local farmers from marketing their products nationally because other countries were able produce foods at a cheaper price. The Zapatistas rebelled and took over several towns in Mexico. The Mexican army tried to remove the Zapatistas but were unsuccessful.

Consider this...

Today , conflicts between the Zapatistas and Mexican government have not been resolved. The Zapatistas continue to argue that the indigenous people of Mexico need more help to improve health care, housing, education and employment. Currently, they control areas located in southern Mexico.

Something to think about before moving to the Takeaway:

Is their way of getting their message across effective? Why or why not? In what ways could the Mexican government be more effective at addressing these concerns?

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Think About This

Considering everything you have learned about Latin America, which issue do you feel is the biggest challenge to face? Why?

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