Tupac Amaru: The Influence Of Religion In Latin American Politics

The influence of religion in Latin American politics, particularly between 1780 and 1990, was immeasurable. Catholicism, in particular, was frequently used as both a way to legitimize power and a method to justify certain political decisions. Though it was very influential early on in Peru, as time passed, the footholds of religion were weakened in the political sphere. For example, while Catholicism strongly influenced Tupac Amaru and his actions in Peru, the Mexican government began to push back against the political influence of the Church and sought to remove its power several decades later. The struggle over how governments should integrate Catholicism into the political sphere shaped Latin American history over several centuries, leading to the blurring of the line between faith and government. …show more content…
While these riots may have seemed like a political response to an unfair legal action, they were closely associated with religion as well. Amaru asserted himself as a devout Catholic, and he used this faith to justify many of his actions. However, his allegiance to his faith became complicated when the Bishop of Cuzco purported that Amaru “set fire to public chapels and the Church of the Sangarara,” an example of a profane act towards “the sacred tabernacle of God”. However, Amaru asserted that “[his] principal goal [was] to end the offenses to God, our Lord”. Amaru may have made this justification to protect his soul, but he also may have done so to retain the support of the Church, since he seems to have placed a great deal of emphasis on the support of the clergy in claiming his own political