continued power of military influence upon government remains evident in
Argentina today. In 1994, as held by Skidmore and Smith, the constitution was
reformed for proclaimed reasons of efficiency and transparency, although some
viewed it as a maneuver by which to prolong the rule of Menem. Menem was indeed
successful in prolonging his term by winning the elections of May 1995. Under
Menem, much of the Argentinian foreign policy mirrored that of the US, ??
Menem adopted a foreign policy in line with the United States (the foreign
minister, indeed, was reported to have quipped that Buenos Aires was seeking
?carnal relations with Washington).? (S+S, 113) In October of 1999 elections
were held once again, this time favoring candidate, Fernando de la Rъa
Bruno by receiving 48.5% of the popular vote over contender Maldonado.
(Elections in Argentina) Chile Chile mirrors the haunting past of Argentina, as
former criminal acts are now on the forefront of the modern political agenda.
Only since the nineties has Chile consistently begun to follow democratic
procedure. This procedure has of course, included investigations of past human
rights abuses. The source of the conflict has most often come down to a single
man, Pinochet. The role of the military in the Chilean government is still
heavily felt in many sectors of government, most notably the judiciary; thus the
struggle continues to design democracy amidst military tradition, precedence,
and pressure. These pressures overall are beast summed up by Skidmore and Smith,
?Chile?s newly restored democracy also faced formidable obstacle: an
ever-alert army still headed by an unrepentant Pinochet, a pro-military
judiciary, a rightist-dominated Senate, sporadic terrorism from left and right,
and the explosive issue of what to do about past human rights abuses ? with
its potential to ignite civilian-military conflict.?(S+S,145) The presidential
election of 1993 brought victory to Eduardo Frei, the son of a former Chilean
President. The economic security and growth felt throughout the Chilean economy
during the nineties was a stabilizing effect upon government as well. The
elections held in December and Jamuary of this year introduced candidate Escobar
to the presidency (Elections in Chile). Escobar ran on a platform to decrease
governmental intervention in economics and increase focus and spending on public
works. This marks a notable transition from past military rigidness faced by
businesses and industry. Poverty: Stemming from the ?dependencia theory,?
the source of poverty throughout Latin America might possibly be postulated in
any number of manners. The fact remains that at some point a world based totally
on agrarian and manual labor, was altered by the industrial revolution. Latin
America was certainly chosen to be the warehouse of supplies and materials, not
the boutique boasting finished products. Once an economic cycle begins, it
becomes difficult to alter; many years later, international powers have
faithfully held the same positions, including Latin America. The fate of third
world is largely determined by a lack of economic opportunity, which many might
contend is ultimately inaccessible due to a lack of education. Mexico With a
population of 85 million people, Mexico boasts one of the largest citizenries,
yet also one of the lower standards of living.(S+S, 4) Together, high numbers of
people, with low standards of living, has made Mexico a country plagued with
poverty, and with that, higher rates of crime. The mid nineties brought further
economic crisis to Mexico as NAFTA had unpredictable effects on the Mexican
economy, ?Fearful of the overvaluation of the peso, investors withdrew more
than $10 billion from Mexico within a week.? (S+S, 261) This of course led the
US to create an emergency aid package, necessary to prevent default on Mexican
debts. The ultimate concern has and continues to be the direct connection
between market conditions and the welfare of people at large, which only shows
grim results for now, ?Between 1963 and 1981, according to one study, the
proportion of Mexicans below the poverty line dropped from 77.5 to 48.5 percent;
but from 1982 to 1992, under the pro-market reforms, it rose again to 66
percent. (S+S, 262) Haiti Considered to be the poorest country in the Western
hemisphere, Haiti serves as the ultimate of lowered living standards, ? With a
population of about 6.7 million, Haiti has a per capita income of approximately
$370. (S+S, 301) Originally colonized by the French, Haitian slave labor from
Africa eventually took over government. Following a political history of
violence and rebellion, Haiti still remains on the outer edges of political
stability. Aid amounts given to Haiti are high, yet the actual dispersion of
these funds is halted often if the government shows signs of internal fracturing
or corruption. Here is a list of aid currently being given to Haiti: United
States $458 million European Union $467 million Canada $133 million France $121
million Germany $76 million Japan $28 million Switzerland $20 million Holland
$12 million Other $140 million Multilateral Inter-American Dev. Bank $761
million World Bank (International Dev. Association) $377 million International
Monetary Fund $131 million U.N. Dev. Program $38 million Other U.N. $50 million
$2.8 billion (Center for International Policy) Education: Education is able to
be shown in direct correlation to one?s standard of living and thus, this
becomes a central issue on both the political and social agendas of Latin
America. The low budgets of Latin American governments often leave public works,
including education, on the bottom rung of priorities. Money is needed to
attempt to solve problems caused ultimately by a lack of education, instead of
being spent on education itself, thus this creates a problem of a self
perpetuating nature. Only in the twentieth century has this cycle of poverty and
dependence been actively pursued by increasing the quality and standards of
education, and political activism has been a central mode through which such
changes might be made. Peru Peru is highlighted under education to understand
the multi-facted uses of education in Latin America. Far from traditional
educational institutions, agrarian education as well as environmental education
has a far more valuable impact in these countries. ?Perumujer? is an NGO,
which spreads literacy throughout farming regions, yet more importantly, adds
components of conservancy and ecological education which not only allow the
Peruvians to farm more efficiently, yet bring higher yields of food using
smaller land area. Many of the storms throughout Latin America cause mudslides,
which kill thousands each year; most often this is due to barren hillsides,
which have been inappropriately farmed. Education in many countries focuses on
applicable and pertinent living skills and this can make an impact with
unlimited benefits. Costa Rica This island country is one general exception to
the trends of education in Latin America and thus is used as an example of
possible success in the educational sector. Over the last ten years, Costa Rica
has boasted a 93% literacy rating, far above the averages held by many tropical
neighbors.(Info Costa Rica.com) This exists as the most literate population in
Central America. In 1869 the Costa Rican government, having generated large sums
of wealth from the coffee industry made education mandatory and free. Then
having one the lower literacy rates, one in ten could read and write; Costa Rica
sets an uplifting trend that has developed over time. Not having a university
until 1940, Costa Rica now proudly has four such places of study and continues
to devote more money toward education annually. Students, under President
Figueres, are now required to take English, tying Costa Rica more closely into
the new economy and increasing success for tourism. (Info Costa Rica.com) In an
analysis of the structures in place in the areas of economics, politics, poverty
reduction, and education, one sees that the state of development in Latin
America is not neglected for sure-sighted tactics are consistently being
employed. The point of interest is that within all of these categories, most
political stability has not fully developed until the onset of the final decade
of the twentieth century. Development in Latin America is a priority and
examples of successes are amply available, even in the midst of setbacks. In
summation, the development of Latin America is progressively transitional. With
time, continued effort, and constant pursuit of democratic principles, the
development of Latin America will succeed.
Elections in Argentina by Wilfried Dirksen, 2000 http://www.agora.stm.it/elections/election/argentina.htm
My Brazil by Sergio Koreisha, 1997 http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~sergiok/brasil.html
CIA World Fact Book: Brazil, 2000 http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/br.html#econ
CIA World Fact Book: Cuba, 2000 http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/cu.html
Business Week (International Edition), January 17, 2000 ?Adios, Argentina ?
Companies are Leaving for Brazil.? Elections in Chile by Wilfried Dirksen,
2000 http://www.agora.stm.it/elections/election/chile.htm Center for
International Policy; Haiti: Democrats vs. Democracy by Robert E. White http://www.us.net/cip/democrac.htm
Peru Mujer: Peruvian Literacy project http://www.literacyonline.org/explorer/peru_over.html
Info Costa Rica.com: Overview, Education http://www.infocostarica.com/education/general.html