Preview

1
The Rise of Dictatorships

• Preview
• Main Idea / Reading Focus
• Argentina
• Brazil
• Chile
• Other Dictatorships

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The Rise of Dictatorships
Main Idea Spiraling economic and social problems
and political turmoil in Latin America led
military leaders to seize power and install
repressive regimes.

• Reading Focus
• How did life change under dictatorships in
  Argentina?
• What changes occurred during the dictatorship in
  Brazil?
• What was life like in Chile during Pinochets
  dictatorship?
• How did dictatorships affect life in other
  countries?

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Argentina
After World War II, Argentina and other Latin
American countries saw a rise in dictatorships.
Social and economic conditions allowed them to
take tremendous power at the expense of peoples
freedoms.
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Argentina
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Argentina

• Victims of dirty war, critics of government and
  those falsely accused of being critics
• Desperate relatives tried to find out what
  happened to loved ones
• Plaza de Mayo
• Square outside government buildings in Buenos
  Aires
• Group of mothers of disappeared marched every
  week
• Did not get wanted answers
• Brought national, international attention to
  tactics of Argentinas military dictatorship

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Find the Main Idea How did dictatorships affect
society in Argentina?
Answer(s) people lived in fear economy suffered
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• Brazil
• Followed path similar to Argentinas, though more
  stable for a time
• Juscelino Kubitschek elected president in free
  election, 1954
• Promised fifty years of progress in five
• Foreign investment flowed in, helped him achieve
  goal

• Brasília
• Results of economic progress seen in capital
  city, Brasília
• Built in three years, cost 2 billion
• Symbol of pride, modernity, but bankrupted
  Brazils economy
• Military rulers seized control, 1964

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Brazil

• Under Military Rule
• Military rulers achieved success, creating
  Brazilian miracle of 1968 to 1973
• Industrial exports, farming, mining grew
• Economy grew faster during this time than any
  other in the world

• Rapid Growth Achieved at Cost
• To achieve rapid growth, military dictatorship
  froze wages
• Living standards declined sharply
• People who complained about government risked
  government death squads

• Opposition Grew to Military
• As opposition grew, economy spiraled into debt,
  hyperinflation
• Extremely high level of inflation economy
  growing too rapidly, too quickly
• 1990 inflation rate more than 2,500 percent

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Identify Cause and Effect What caused Brazils
economic problems?
Answer(s) foreign investment, excessive domestic
spending, dependence on imported petroleum
products
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Chile
As in Argentina and Brazil, economic problems led
to drastic changes in Chiles government.
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Chile

• The Pinochet Regime
• Augusto Pinochet appointed commander in chief of
  army a few weeks before coup
• General Pinochet closely involved in coup

• Destroyed Opposition
• Pinochet took command of military junta following
  coup
• Became president, 1974
• Moved quickly to destroy opposition

• Pinochets Tactics
• Disbanded congress, censored media, suspended
  constitution, banned opposition parties
• Arrested thousands who opposed government

• Period of Growth
• Despite political crackdown, economy experienced
  several periods of rapid growth
• Government promoted capitalism, exports grew

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Summarize How did events in Chile lead to a
dictatorship?
Answer(s) economic problems, socialist-style
policies, CIA provided funding and training to
opposition, a coup took place
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Other Dictatorships

• Haiti
• One family headed dictatorship for 28 years
• 1957, Francois Duvalier elected president, began
  to repress opposition
• After his death, son carried on dictatorship

• From Bad to Worse
• Duvaliers corruption made Haitis bad economy
  worse
• 1986, riots broke out, Duvalier forced to flee
• 1990, JeanBertrand Aristide elected president
  after years of turmoil

• Aristide
• Popular, but military coup ended presidency after
  only seven months
• U.S. troops invaded, Aristide returned to power,
  1994
• Unable to solve economic problems, eventually
  pushed from power again

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Panama
During the 1980s, Panama was controlled by
Manuel Noriega. Noriega brutally crushed enemies
and used the country as a base for drug smuggling.
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Peru

• Challenges
• 1990, Peru faced challenges of poor economy
• Shining Path, guerrilla group terrorized
  countryside
• Alberto Fujimori won presidential election

• Fujimori
• Took drastic measures to improve economy, stop
  Shining Path
• Congress complained about abuse of power
• Fujimori disbanded congress, suspended
  constitution

• Elections
• Fujimori had become dictator, yet won election in
  1995
• Booming economy, progress against guerilla
  activity reasons for victory
• Scandals, fraud forced Fujimori to resign
  following election of 2000

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Compare What did the dictators in Haiti, Panama,
and Peru have in common?
Answer(s) abuse of power, economic problems,
repression of opposition