Blogs

In this week’s reading, the topic of caudillo leaders after independence was introduced and discussed.  From my understanding, caudillo leaders... read full post >>

From what I read I just feel that many people who is reading this kind of lecture will probably think that Antonio Lopez De Santa Anna was a very good man and someone who did everything for Mexico but I do not think in that way. When I was taking history courses in my country […] read full post >>

From what I read I just feel that many people who is reading this kind of lecture will probably think that Antonio Lopez De Santa Anna was a very good man and someone who did everything for Mexico but I do not think in that way. When I was taking history courses in my country […] read full post >>

The nineteenth century was a period of independence for many countries in Latin America. However, countries were gaining independence on paper but not in practice. Problems were emerging from these newly “independent” countries due to inequality between peoples, lack of governance understanding, lack of economic growth, instability, and power imbalances which lead to many wars… Continue reading Week Five – Caudillos Versus the Nation State read full post >>

The reading this week began with a very interesting topic, that of a stolen wooden leg, Antonia Lopez de Santa Anna’s wooden leg. He was interestingly elected to Mexican office a total of 11 times, leaving each time in disgrace. However, the Mexican people turned to him in times of need, something I don’t really understand. Why would you rely on someone that has let you down in the past? I suppose it was the familiarity and the idea of how much worse can he really do this time? Moving...read more read full post >>

Caudillismo in Latin America developed when political consensus post independence disappeared. Politics was governed by the elite and policy was not appropriate in newly independent countries. Seeing this vacuum in political power, authority, and direction; caudillos were the next logical step in the political development in many of these countries. Argentina got Juan Manuel de […] read full post >>

It is interesting to me, how the peg leg of a former Mexican president is still held in an American museum. If this were the other way around, I wouldn’t imagine the Americans being all too pleased about it. Or do the Mexicans not want it back because it’s a reminder of the terrible national … read full post >>

I found the speech by Hugo Chávez to be the most interesting of the the reading this week as it highlighted how many countries in Latin America struggled against the lingering grasp of colonialism. In his speech, he refers to the Simón Bolívar and the Letter from Jamaica (which was written a century ago at the time); though […] read full post >>

I found the speech by Hugo Chávez to be the most interesting of the the reading this week as it highlighted how many countries in Latin America struggled against the lingering grasp of colonialism. In his speech, he refers to the Simón Bolívar and the Letter from Jamaica (which was written a century ago at the time); though […] read full post >>

After reading through Simon Bolivar’s letter to Jamaica in response to Henry Cullen’s what I find incredible is how he manages to express his political and philosophical point of view on Latin America in comparison to Marti’s letter to the world, specifically targeting towards Cuba. Both have the same ideas on fighting and obtaining independence […] read full post >>