710 likes | 967 Views
The Southern Cone Countries of South America: A Comparative Sociological Analysis. Ted Goertzel Sociology Department Rutgers University, Camden NJ. The “Southern Cone” countries considered here are Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay. .
E N D
The Southern Cone Countries of South America:A Comparative Sociological Analysis Ted Goertzel Sociology Department Rutgers University, Camden NJ
The “Southern Cone” countries considered here are Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay.
The largest country, Brazil, has its major population centers in the South although it is often better known for the Northeast and Amazon regions
Andean Region • There are, of course, other ways to divide up a region • Bolivia, for example, could be treated as part of an Andean region with Peru and Ecuador • But the five “Southern Cone” countries provide an interesting comparison.
Is “Latin America” a civilization of its own or part of Western civilization (Huntington, “Clash of Civilizations)? Portuguese versus Spanish cultural heritage Quechua and Guarani and other native American cultures especially in Bolivia and Paraguay Each country has its own “national culture” Comparative PerspectiveCulture
Anglo America Hispano America
All are “developing nations” or part of the “South” or “Third World But the differences in levels of economic development may be greater than the similarities Recurrent conflicts between adherents of nationalist, social democratic and “neoliberal” economic models Corruption, government inefficiency and inflation are recurrent problems Comparative PerspectiveEconomics
Gross National Product in 1995 Dollars Argentina Chile Uruguay Brazil Paraguay Bolivia
All are democracies with republican constitutions All have a history of military dictatorship in recent decades Political party systems differ greatly Comparative PerspectivePolitics • Political traditions and social movements are rooted in each country’s history • Political instability makes the quality of leadership more important than in North America or Europe
Democratic transition from from Fernando Henrique Cardoso to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as President of Brazil, January 1, 2003
The Scapegoat: Finance Minister Domingo Cavallo Unemployed Youth Protest January 2002 (AFP) Argentina 2001/2002 Economic Collapse
Salvador Allende President of Chile Killed in 1973 Military Coup General Pinochet leader of the 1973 coup on trial in 2003 From La Jiribilla, Havana, Cuba
Argentina • Predominately European immigrants • Was as wealthy as Canada in 1900, one third as wealthy in 1990 • Statist policies and political instability inhibited growth • Liberalization in the 1990s led to 2001 collapse due to corrupt leadership
Many best-selling Argentine authors are highly critical of their national culture.
President Nestor Kirchner, a Peronist from Patagonia, is fighting police corruption and keeping the lid on things • The economy has recovered with the fiscal stability • People do not seem to be expecting dramatic solutions to their problems • Increasing frustration with leftist demonstrators who block intersections causing massive traffic jams
Bolivia • Population 35% Quechua, 30% mestizo 25% Aymara 15% white • Market-oriented reforms successful from 1993-1997 • Economic downturn and coca eradication led to major civil disturbances in 2000 and 2002 • Strong nationalist and movements opposed to export of natural gas Continued resentment of the loss of the Arica port to Chile in 2884
The rebellion in Bolivia offers inspiration to anti-globalization activists who see it as a hopeful sign of global rebellion against the world capitalist system
President Gonzalo Sanchez de Morales or Goni is forced to resign President Carlos Mesa takes over Evo Morales leader of Bolivia’s coca growers.
Chile • Population is mostly mestizo, small indigenous and European groups, mostly urban • Salvador Allende, first Marxist elected by popular vote in Latin America, in 1970 • Repressive military government after 1973 coup d’etat stabilizes economy and builds foundation for growth • After a plebiscite and 1989 elections political democracy has been stable • Free market-oriented economic policies have been remarkably successful
Uruguay • Population 88% white, 8% mestizo, 4% black • Military coup in 1973 suppressed the Tupamaro guerillas • Democratic governments since 1985 have struggled with inflation and debt • Uruguay’s economy is closely linked to Argentina’s and it was dragged down by the 2001 crisis
TUPAMARO by Roberto Muso Soy un guacho del 63, el barrio Palermo fue el que me vio crecer, y ahí conocí al mago Pantaleón que vive acá abajo por la calle Yaguarón. Y una vuelta que andábamos remamados dijo: "yo te puedo hacer que viajes al pasado" pensé: "con la celeste dar la vuelta en el 50, o ser un tupamaro de los 60". Tupamaro, no me equivoqué Tupamaro, yo quise ser Tupamaro, le pedí al mago. (continues)
Tupamaro: the board game The social movement today
Paraguay • Population 95% mestizo, Spanish and Guarani are the official languages • Market economy with a large informal sector, lots of smuggling to Brazil • Political uncertainty, corruption, and debt have inhibited economic progress • Dictator Alfredo Stroessner ruled from 1954 to 1989 • Democratic elections since 2000 have focused on corruption
Partido Nacional o Blanco Partido Colorado Frente Ampla National Flag Uruguayan politics has been divided historically between the Colorado and Nacional or Blanco Parties, but the Encuento Progresista, a left-of-center united front has challenged the Colorados in recent elections.
Brazil with184 million people is larger than Spanish speaking South America. It is a federation of Portuguese speaking states.
Paraguay Uruguay Bolivia Chile Argentina Brazil Populations of Southern Cone Countries
The Brazilian flag has 27 white five pointed stars, one for each state and the federal district, arranged in the same pattern as the night sky over Brazil, including the Southern Cross. The slogan”Order and Progress” reflects the influence of Auguste Comte’s positivist theories in Brazilian social thought.
An excerpt from a description of the flag on a Brazilian WEB site. Portuguese is closely related to Spanish, but the pronunciation is different. A legenda, escrita em verde, "Ordem e Progresso", é um resumo do lema de Auguste Comte, criador do Positivismo, do qual Teixeira Mendes era adepto. O lema completo era "o amor por princípio e a ordem por base; o progresso por fim." Segundo o próprio Teixeira Mendes, o objetivo do lema era mostrar que a revolução "não aboliu simplesmente a monarquia", mas que ela aspirava "fundar uma pátria de verdadeiros irmãos, dando à Ordem e ao Progresso todas as garantias que a história nos demonstra serem necessárias à sua permanente harmonia.”
January 1, 2003 Democratic transition from from Fernando Henrique Cardoso to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Lula da Silva Born 27 Oct 1945 in the interior of Pernambuco Seventh of eight children Father left for São Paulo and his wife’s cousin just before Lula was born Raised in extreme poverty in the interior of Pernambuco Mother, Dona Lindu, the dominant influence in his childhood Fernando Henrique Born 18 June 1931 in Rio de Janeiro First born of three Good relationship with both parents Raised in a family with a distinguished history Father a leftist army officer, lawyer and politician Paternal grandmother dominant figure at home Childhood
Fernando Henrique with his mother and his paternal grandmother. Lula at 3 years old with sister Maria. The clothes and shoes were loaned to him for the photograph.
FHC: Scion of the Aristocracy Parents and siblings Father beside a bust of FHC’s grandfather. Grandfather on his white horse
Cardoso is a Social Democrat but is often stigmatized as a “neoliberal.” He was elected President in 1994 by an alliance between his Brazilian Social Democratic Party and the Party of the Liberal Front. He was sent to the Senate in1982 by the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party. As a youth, he was affiliated with a cultural group of the Brazilian Communist Party.
Lula’s parents: Aristides and Euridice (Dona Lindu) Lula growing up...
Lula on His Father • “I feel bad about my father (tenho mágoa) because I think he was very ignorant. He was a fount of ignorance (um poço de ignorância). He died in1978 as an indigent.” • Lula’s father was illiterate and did not want any of his children to surpass him by going to school. He carried a newspaper to work, sometimes upside down. • He earned enough as a longshoreman in Santos to support two families.
Lula on His Mother • “I thank God for my mother’s courage… At a time of great misery, my mother raised five sons who became poor but honest men and three daughters who did not have to prostitute themselves. I believe this is a very noble thing.” • “My mother sold her watch, her donkey, her religious statues, her family photographs, she sold everything, everything she had to leave the Northeast.”
He felt humiliated and neglected by his father He told his brothers the best thing their father ever did for them was to leave with another woman He rebelled against his father by getting an education and having a more successful career He cried the first time he spent a night away from his mother - on his honeymoon His mother strongly supported his drive to get an education He won the struggle for his mother’s love when she broke with his two-timing father A Mother’s Boy
Lula da Silva Mother and siblings moved to Santos in the back of a truck when he was seven Worked as vendor, shoe shiner and delivery boy Public elementary school Mother separated from abusive husband, moved to São Paulo with children Won admission to three-year training program as a lathe mechanic Fernando Henrique Father encouraged him to pursue his literary and intellectual interests Did well in school, but failed Latin exam for law school Majored in social sciences because of interest in Brazilian nationalism Involved with an intellectual journal linked to the Communist Party Youth
Lula with youthful friends. Fernando Henrique with wife Ruth and son
Lula da Silva Marries a fellow worker Wife and newborn die in childbirth with poor medical care Works as a lathe operator Marries a widow, Marisa, who has a son Becomes active in the metal workers union Jailed briefly by military regime as a strike leader Fernando Henrique Marries a fellow student and starts a family Joins Marxist study group with friends who become leading intellectuals Begins academic career Forced into comfortable exile by the 1964 military coup Becomes intellectual star in exile in Chile and France Young Adulthood
Arrested by the military police in 1980 during a 41 day general strike in the industrial suburbs of Sao Paulo.
Lula’s wife Marisa in front of the church where they were married, and showing the first PT flag which she sewed.
Discussing politics in 1975
Lula da Silva Decided to join the group forming the Workers Party in 1979 when the military allows multiple parties Joins in forming an independent labor federation, the Central Única dos Trabalhadores in 1983 Joins the campaign for Direct Elections Now! in 1984 Fernando Henrique Decides not to join the Workers Party and joins the Party of the Brazilian Democratic Movement Elected as Alternate to the Senate on MDB ticket, succeeds to Senate when Franco Montoro becomes governor of São Paulo Joins the campaign for Direct Elections Now! in 1984 Entering Politics