Effects Of Imperialism In Latin America

The Imperialism of Latin America throughout History Latin America has constantly been colonized or influenced by outside entities since the new world was discovered in the sixteenth century. Subsequently, these outside influences have constantly shaped Latin America into a part of the world that continuously benefits a small number of elites, and foreign interests. While the average Latin American citizen does not gain any advantage from outside influence, they are constantly fighting for a voice of change and future autonomy. Latin America has a large socio-economic problem that is instigated by the constant involvement of foreign countries. This problem can be directly traced to the sixteenth century when the Spanish and Portuguese colonized …show more content…
Furthermore, various individuals addressed the problem of imperialism through many different tactics. These individuals include Toussaint L’ Ouverture of Haiti, Rafael Carrera of Guatemala, and Che Guevara of Argentina. Consequently, some of the actors who fought for change were not successful, while others were. After Columbus discovered the new world in the fifteenth century, the Spanish and Portuguese quickly claimed land in the Americas. The Spanish sent common men to lay claim to treasures and lands. These men were called conquistadores. In a book titled, Latin America: an Interpretive History, author Julie A. Charlip states, “The rest of the new world civilizations fell rapidly to the Spanish: within half a century after Columbus’s discovery, Spanish adelantados had explored from approximately 40 degrees north-Oregon, Colorado, and the Carolinas-to 40 degrees south-mid Chile and Argentina- with the exception of the Brazilian coast” (Charlip and Burns 2002, 37). The European colonists brought many diseases and up to 90% of some populations succumbed to these maladies. European colonization lasted in the Americas for about 300 years. Once Latin America was free from colonial bondage, the British thrust a new type of …show more content…
Guevara was born in Argentina and was educated as a doctor. According to Alma Guillermoprieto in the book, looking for History: Dispatches from Latin America, “embarked on an eight-month hitchhike adventure, It took them through northern Argentina again and then on to Chile, Peru, Columbia, Venezuela, and finally, the United States. The living conditions of the people shocked him” (Guillermoprieto 2002). The poor conditions was a catalyst to his revolutionary tendencies. Fidel Castro and Guevara led a revolution that toppled Fulgencio Batista, who was backed by the United States. The United States was not friendly to Castro. According to Charlip, in the book, book Latin America: an Interpretive History, “U.S. officials blamed revolutionary movements on Soviet and Cuban provocateurs” (Charlip and Burns 2002, 256). Castro did not start as a socialist, but when the U.S. put economic sanctions and isolated the island of Cuba, they eventually gravitated towards Russia and