Understanding Latin American Politics - Pearson EducationUnderstanding Latin American politics / Gregory Weeks. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-205-64825-2

Understanding Latin American Politics

Gregory Weeks

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Weeks, Gregory Bart. Understanding Latin American politics / Gregory Weeks. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-205-64825-2 (alk. paper)— ISBN 0-205-64825-8 (alk. paper) 1. Latin America—Politics and government. I. Title. JL960.W38 2015 320.98—dc23

2014007091

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

ISBN 10: 0-205-64825-8ISBN 13: 978-0-205-64825-2


iii

Brief ContentsPArt i theoretiCAl And historiCAl BACkground

1 Theoretical Perspectives on Latin American Politics 1

2 State Formation and Economic Development in the Nineteenth Century 13

3 Dictatorship, Democracy, and Revolution in the Modern Era 35

4 The Politics of Capitalism and Socialism Through the Twentieth Century 55

PArt ii MexiCo, CentrAl AMeriCA, And the CAriBBeAn

5 Mexico 79

6 Central America 105

7 Cuba 139

PArt iii the AndeAn region

8 Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru 167

9 Colombia 197

10 Venezuela 225

PArt iV BrAzil And the southern Cone

11 Brazil 253

12 Argentina 281

13 Chile 311


iv

Preface xi

PArt i theoretiCAl And historiCAl BACkground

1 Theoretical Perspectives on Latin American Politics 1

The Complexities of Latin American Politics 2Making Comparisons in the Context of Complexity 3International Level 4National Level 4Local Level 4How the Levels Intersect 5

How Levels of Analysis Inform Theory 5Modernization Theory 5What Modernization Theory Can’t Explain 6Dependency Theory 6What Dependency Theory Can’t Explain 9

Defining Democracy and Development 9Democracy 9Development 10

Conclusion 11Key Terms 11 • Discussion Questions 11 • Further Sources 12 • Endnotes 12

2 State Formation and Economic Development in the Nineteenth Century 13

The Challenges of Independence 13The International Level: Peninsular Wars and Latin American Declarations of Independence 14Race and Nation in Latin America 14National Response to International Factors in Spanish America 15

The National Level: Nations and States 16The Challenge of Nation Building 16The Challenge of State Building 17Local Challenges of State Building 18The Role of the Military in State Building 19The Problem of Weak States 20

Contents


Constitutions and the National Seeds of Democracy and Authoritarianism 21

Constructing Accountable Political Institutions 22The Liberal–Conservative Divide 23

International Influences and the Challenge of National Economic Development 26

Becoming Dependent Internationally 28Dependency and Lack of Development 28Social Structure and Local Politics 30Subaltern Groups: National and Local Levels 31


3 Dictatorship, Democracy, and Revolution in the Modern Era 35

National and International Influence in the First Half of the Twentieth Century 37

Early Weakness of Democracy: National Challenges 37National Threats to Democracy 38International Influence: The United States and Democracy 39The National Effects of Economic Policy 41

The Cold War (1947–1991) 43The Military and International Influence 43National Factors in Democratic Breakdown 46Contemporary Democracy in the Post–Cold War Era (1991 to present) 49The National Impact of Populism 50Newfound Strength of Democracy 50


4 The Politics of Capitalism and Socialism Through the Twentieth Century 55International Influences: Capitalism and Socialism 56

The Foundations of Capitalism 56The Foundations of Socialism and Communism 57The Dynamics of Dependence 59

Economic Alternatives: International and National Influences 61The Impact of Nationalization 62Economic Reform Within Latin America 64Why Do Democracies Break Down? Economic Factors at the National Level 66

Contents v


International Factors in the Late Twentieth Century 68The Debt Crisis 68Chile as an Alternative Model 69Another Alternative: Mixed Economies 71The Local Level: Formal and Informal Economies 72Dollarization: The Ultimate International Influence 73An International Constant: The Exchange Rate 74


PArt ii MexiCo, CentrAl AMeriCA, And the CAriBBeAn

5 Mexico 79

Historical Roots of Political and Economic Development 81

Postindependence Challenges 81Roots of the Mexican Revolution 82The Legacies of the Revolution 82

Contemporary Politics in Mexico 83The Influence of Clientelism and Corporatism 84Mexican Presidentialism 85National Economic Restructuring 85Drawbacks to the Economic Model 86

Theory and Politics of Mexican Development: Local, National, and International Influences 87

Political Impact of Economic Reforms 87The Importance of NAFTA 88Changes in the Mexican Economic and Political Models 90The Zapatistas: Local Response to National and International Influences 91Political Resistance at Other Levels 93The Process of Democratization in Mexico 94Democratization with Decentralization 97Migration: The Confluence of International, National, and Local 98Drugs: The Local and National Effects of International Trade 99

Conclusion and Comparative Perspective 102Key Terms 103 • Discussion Questions 103 • Further Sources 103 • Endnotes 104

vi Contents


Contents vii

6 Central America 105

Historical Roots of Political and Economic Development 107Costa Rica 108El Salvador 110Nicaragua 114Guatemala 117Honduras 121Panama 125

Regional Issues 127Migration and Economics 128The Judiciary in Central America 128Women and Politics in Central America 129


7 Cuba 139

Historical Roots of Political and Economic Development 141Dominance of the United States 141Fulgencio Batista’s Dominance of Cuban Politics 142The Rise of a National Revolutionary Movement 143

The Revolution: Remaking the Nation 146International Factors: The Role of the Soviet Union 147International Factors: The United States Embargo 148

Contemporary Cuban Politics 150The Post-Cold War: Local and National Economic Collapse 152Political Support: The Role of Women and Afro-Cubans 154Cuba’s International Influence 155Cuba’s Economic Transformation 157The Evolution of Political Control 158Economic Policy Under Raúl Castro 160International Influence: The United States After the Cold War 161



PArt iii the AndeAn region

8 Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru 167

Historical Roots of Political and Economic Development 169

Bolivia 170Imperfect National Political and Economic Reform 171Economic Source of Local Discontent 172Conflict Between Different Levels Under Evo Morales 175

Ecuador 177The Political Consequences of National Economic Collapse 178The Era of Rafael Correa 180Economic Growth and International Factors 182

Peru 183The Challenges of Democratic Transition 184The Era of Alberto Fujimori 185National Recovery From the Fujimori Era 189


9 Colombia 197

Historical Roots of Political and Economic Development 199Local and National Legacies of Violence 199Violence With Economic Development 200

Contemporary Politics in Colombia 201International Influence: The Drug Trade 202Political Violence and Economic Development 205National and International Implications of Political Violence 207The International Politics of Economic Reform 208Political Development: The Local Level 210International Influences: The Drug Trade 210National Meet Local: Indigenous, Racial, and Gender Issues 216


10 Venezuela 225

Historical Roots of Political and Economic Development 227The Politics of International Influence: Venezuela and Oil 229The National Politics of Oil 229

viii Contents


Contents ix

Contemporary Politics in Venezuela 230Cracks in the National Political System 231The Caracazo and the Political Aftermath 232The Failure of Presidentialism 233

The Fifth Republic 234Women and Indigenous Groups: The Struggle for Activism at the Local and National Levels 242Decentralization and the Dynamics of Local and National Political Power 243Political Institutions and Horizontal Accountability 244The Bolivarian Revolution: International Influences 245


PArt iV BrAzil And the southern Cone

11 Brazil 253

Historical Roots of Political and Economic Development 254The End of Empire 256The National and Local Implications of Political Institutions 256

Contemporary Politics in Brazil 257National Factors in the Breakdown of Brazilian Democracy 257Creating a New National Economic Policy 259Brazil’s Political Transition 260The International Influence on Economic Transition 261National Transformations of the Underrepresented 262Presidentialism and National Fragmentation 267Democracy in Brazil: The Local Level 269National Insecurity and the Judiciary 272Brazil at the International Level 275

Conclusion and Comparative Perspective 276Key Terms 277 • Critical Thinking Questions 278 • Further Sources 278 • Endnotes 279

12 Argentina 281

Historical Roots of Political and Economic Development 282The Importance of Federalism 284The Perils of National Political Competition 285

Contemporary Politics in Argentina 286The Role of Peronism in Argentine Politics 287Argentina’s Dirty War 290


The Postauthoritarian Era 293The Dilemma of Balancing Political and Economic Demands 294Market Reforms Under Carlos Menem 294The Return of Economic Crisis 297The Era of the Kirchners 298Accountability and the Kirchners 303Contemporary Argentina and International Influence 305


13 Chile 311

Historical Roots of Political and Economic Development 313National Divisions in Chile 313Military Rule in Chile 314

Contemporary Politics in Chile 316Theory and Politics of Chilean Development and Democratic Breakdown: Local, National, and International Influences 317

Years of Dictatorship: 1973–1990 320Transformation of National Political Institutions 320A New Economic Direction 321Protest Against the Military Government: Local and National Factors 323

The Return of Democracy: 1990 and Beyond 325Legacies of Dictatorship: Human Rights 327The Politics of National Consensus 330


Glossary 337

Bibliography 340

Index 349

x Contents


xi

Imagine a president disappears from public view, leaves his country for extended periods to get cancer treatments, and even misses his inauguration. There is clam-oring by the opposition to prove he’s alive, expressions of concern by other coun-tries, and shows of support on the streets. The interim president says he’s still receiving orders from the sitting president, but the evidence for this is disputed. The president then returns to his home country and not long after is pronounced dead. This example describes what happened in Venezuela with its president, Hugo Chávez, in late 2012 and early 2013. How should we unravel Chávez’s secretive behavior and why different political actors responded as they did?

As its title suggests, the ultimate goal of this book is to lay the founda-tion for a better understanding of Latin American politics. The main audience is undergraduate students, who can use some guidance to navigate what they read and hear from friends, family, and the media. There is almost too much to consider at once: Why was Hugo Chávez such a polarizing figure? What devel-opments led Venezuelan politics to this moment? Why did presidents and heads of state of other nations react in different ways to the crisis? Answers to these questions often defy easy explanation.

If we want to understand why certain political events are occurring in Latin America, we need to get a bird’s-eye view and then zoom in to get a look at people on the ground. By doing that in a comparative way, we can uncover not only why events are happening, but also whether they are likely to occur in other countries as well. In this book, these different perspectives all come together to form a more complete picture. The Venezuelan case, with all its sur-prises and uncertainties, can start making more sense.

The essence of this book is to highlight three different levels of analysis: international, national, and local. Decisions are not made in a bubble, political forces are often not isolated, and interaction with other countries creates mul-tiple layers of complexity. The chapters ask students to ponder how each level of analysis is integral to political and economic outcomes.

Text FeaturesThis book begins with an introductory chapter that lays out major theoreti-cal frameworks and initiates the conceptual discussion. Chapters 2 through 4 provide the historical grounding necessary to grasp the major political and eco-nomic themes that developed in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in Latin America. From there we move to country case studies, sixteen countries in nine chapters: Central American and three Andean countries are grouped together. All of the country case study chapters include clear comparative discussions to show how we can make generalizations that further our understanding of po-litical and economic events.

PrefACe


The chapters provide a host of analytical tools that go beyond just a narrative:

• Timelines of key events• Key economic indicators (gross domestic product growth, inflation, unem-

ployment, poverty rate, and the human development index)• Boxes discussing key country characteristics• Boxes discussing important political institutions in each country• Annotated lists of additional readings and Web sites• Annotated primary documents• A glossary of key terms• Suggested topics for student term paper research

From long experience, I know it is no easy task to present the right com-bination of country studies and analytical tools in a single class, but I believe students will come away from using this book with a better understanding of Latin American politics.

This book is available in a variety of formats—digital and print. To learn more about Pearson programs, pricing, and customization options, visit www.pearsonhighered.com.

AcknowledgmentsThis book originated with a lengthy phone conversation I had with then Long-man Acquisitions Editor Vik Mukhija back in 2007, just after I had completed another book on U.S.-Latin American relations. I talked about how none of the existing texts really fit the structure and content of my Latin American politics class. Vik is an energetic and enthusiastic editor and encouraged me to consider tackling another book. Almost seven years later, here we finally are. At Pearson thanks must also go to Beverly Fong and Melissa Mashburn, who ushered me through various stages of the process and brainstormed with me. At the tail end, I appreciate the help of Doug Bell, who led me through the tortured but necessary process of obtaining all necessary permissions.

Mulling over Latin American politics was in part a public exercise. As ideas or topics occurred to me, I blogged about them at Two Weeks Notice: A Latin American Politics Blog (http://weeksnotice.blogspot.com/) where I have been writing since early 2006. Thanks to all the readers, anonymous or oth-erwise, who commented—positively or otherwise—on my meandering posts. Further, I am very grateful to the many undergraduates in my Latin American Politics course at UNC Charlotte who read draft versions and directly or in-directly made me think of ways to improve the manuscript. I was also pleased at the high quality of the external reviews I received, and I expect some of you will recognize the impact of your own suggestions on the final book. I would like to thank the following reviewers: Stephen Morris, Middle Tennessee State University; Gratzia Villaroel, St. Norbert College; Richard Levy, Salem State University; Candice Ortbals, Pepperdine University; Adrian Hull, SUNY Cor-tland; Velma Garcia, Smith College; David Scott Palmer, Boston University;

xii Preface


Preface xiii

Jose M. Vadi, Cal State Polytechnic University at Pomona; Lourdes Gil, Baruch College—CUNY; James G. Stamsad, San Diego State University; Ted Henken, Baruch College; Amy Below, Oregon State University.

Through it all, I appreciate all the love and support from my wife Amy and my children Benjamin, Julia, and Elizabeth. When I felt like tossing the com-puter out the window, I just went and hung out with them.



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Understanding Latin American Politics - Pearson EducationUnderstanding Latin American politics / Gregory Weeks. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-205-64825-2