SPAN 44 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Luisa Valenzuela, Villa Grimaldi, Jorge Rafael Videla
Week 9:
The Authoritarian Backlash: Military Regimes in Chile and Argentina
REVIEW: The Era of big changes (1940s-1960s)
● Incorporation of the “masses” to political life throughout the continent
○ Populist regimes peronismo
○ Socialist candidates win electiions Jacobo Arbenz
○ Triumph of Cuban Revolution Communism has a foothold in Americas
■ Cuba considered proxy of Soviet Union
● Changes in economic policiies
○ Origins of the welfare state
○ Land reforms
○ Complete transformation, nationalization, collectivization
● Revolutionary spirit in literature, cinema, the arts: film, painting, photography, etc.
Musuem exhibit: Radical women: Latin American Art (1960-85)
● Hammer Museum until Dec. 21
● Part of “Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA”
● Photography, installations, videoart, etc
...and the increasing discontent
● Traditional social, political, and economic elites
○ Feeling of displacement
○ Harmed economic interests (collectivization and nationalization jeopardized their assets)
○ Exile (Cuba) (huge flow of Cuban elites to Miami)
● United States government Cold War logic (all to prevent communist/revolutionary behavior)
○ Military aid (to Latin America)
○ School of the Americas (1946) Training Latin American military officials in anti-communist
(and anti-revolutionary) tactics (located in Panama)
○ Endorsement of military coups Paraguay, Guatemala, Brazil…
○ Alliance for Progress (JFK, 1961) Financial aid for economic development
● “Soft” and “hard” anti-communist or anti-revolutionary strategies will go hand in hand’
○ “Soft” like financial aid; both tactics happening at the same time
Social polarization and the ascent of the military
● Emergence of relatively small, but armed, leftist groups
○ Urban / rural guerrillas (e.g. Fidel Castor’s guerilla group)
○ “Montoneros” and “ERP” in Argentina; “Tupamaros” in Uruguay; “MIR” in Chile, etc.
● Emergence of also armed, right wing groups, oftentimes functioning as paramilitary forces
○ As reaction to rise of urban/rural guerillas
○ Images: images taken in Chile before 1960s coups
■ Below: photo of leftist MIR grourp
■ Above: photo of pro-nazi, far-right Chilean group started around the same time
● Increased presence of the army in the political life of Latin American countries
○ Increased repression of “subversion”
○ Coups d’état
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
○ “Dirty War” (state terrorism) as a form of social, political, and ideological control
Majority of Latin American countries under authoritarian regimes and military dictatorships! Undergoing this
type of political military regime between 1950s-90s
The case of Chile
● Salvador Allende, a Socialist candidate, wins the presidential elections of 1970
○ Supported by miners, urban workers, students, and the popular classes
○ Opposed by sectors of the middle class, the upper-clases, and (certain conservative) sectors of
the military
○ Mistrusted by United States government (unsure if he will take same direction as Cuba)
● Government of “Unidad Popular” (1970 - 1973)
○ Until deposed by coup d’etat
● Economic reforms
○ “Chilean road to Socialism”
○ Large-scale nationalization of key industries (copper mines, etc.)
○ Accelerated agrarian reform
The coup d’état in Chile
● Social confrontation becomes commonplace
● Very tense polítical situation
● General Augusto Pinochet will conduct a successful coup d’état on Sept. 11th 1973
● The Presidential Palace (Palacio de la Moneda) is bombed, President Salvador Allende is captured and
killed
● General Augusto Pinochet will govern Chile until 1990
○ Refashioned chilean economy Chile test-subject for neo-liberal reforms
○ Extensive use of violence against subversive, wanted to crush leftist tendencies
(institutionalized violence use of police/army to repress groups)--> dirty war in chile
● More than 3,000 Chileans killed, tortured, disappeared… students, polititians, unionists, workers,
artists, lawyers, priests…
The case of Argentina
● levels of (social and) political tension (esp. During 60s-70s)
○ left-wing guerrillas (Montoneros; ERP)
○ right-wing paramilitary groups (AAA)
● Juan Domingo Perón returns to power briefly (1973-1974)
● His third wife, María Estela or “Isabel”, takes over
after his death; allies with military (1974-1976)
○ Lacked political experience/knowledge; not
well advised nor charismatic; when gains
power in this complicated socio/political
context, is unable to get things under
control
○ Progressively gives more and more room
to army her poltiical entourage; deligates
political affairs to the army
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
The authoritarian backlash: military regimes in chile and argentina. Incorporation of the masses to political life throughout the continent. Triumph of cuban revolution(cid:3450) communism has a foothold in americas. Revolutionary spirit in literature, cinema, the arts: film, painting, photography, etc. Musuem exhibit: radical women: latin american art (1960-85) Harmed economic interests (collectivization and nationalization jeopardized their assets) Exile (cuba) (huge flow of cuban elites to miami) United states government(cid:3450) cold war logic (all to prevent communist/revolutionary behavior) School of the americas (1946)(cid:3450) training latin american military officials in anti-communist (and anti-revolutionary) tactics (located in panama) Endorsement of military coups (cid:3450)paraguay, guatemala, brazil . Alliance for progress (jfk, 1961)(cid:3450) financial aid for economic development. Soft and hard anti-communist or anti-revolutionary strategies will go hand in hand". Soft like financial aid; both tactics happening at the same time. Social polarization and the ascent of the military. Emergence of relatively small, but armed, leftist groups.
