1. Late 19th
century and
20th centuries
Snapshot
Latin America
& Mexico
(after
independence)

2. Cultural & Social Continuities
• Roman Catholicism as a belief system
– Influences politics
• Importance of the family and strong
patriarchy
• Large gap between upper classes and lower
classes.
• Native beliefs and identity

3. Cultural and Social Changes
• Liberation Theology - Roman Catholic non-
violent activists working to end social
inequality and unjust treatment of the poor
• Protestant Evangelical Christianity has
grown.
• Globalization – has led to changes in culture,
gender roles, and youth

4. Political Changes New Nation States in the
19th century:

6. Political Continuities
• Importance of the military
– Military leadership took control
to end chaos or solve problems
others couldn’t solve.
• Caudillo Political Leadership
– Military leaders who rose to
power
– Many became dictators

7. Political Changes
• Revolutionary groups have challenged political
power
– Socialist/Communist groups
– Native groups
– Terrorist Groups
• Laborers have supported changes in leadership.
• Mexican Revolution of the early 1900s led to
nationalization of resources and industry
• Cuban Revolution – Fidel Castro led communist
revolution in Cuba

8. Continuity in Latin America – US involvement

10. Economic Continuities
Dependency on the West
• Plantation then estate
agriculture for export was
a base of the economies.
• Western markets
determined Latin
American exports.
• Latin America was
dependent on Western
investment and
manufactured goods.
• Limited industrialization.

11. Economic Changes
• Mining and early oil
industry began
• Extension of road,
rail, and canal
networks

12. Change - Effects of the Great
Depression on Latin America
• Foreign
investments and
purchases declined
• The liberals were
discredited and so
was Western
capitalism
• Violent coups in 12
countries.

13. Change-Effects of World Wars on Latin America
• Import substitution
industrialization – growth
in industry in Latin
America to manufacture
what had been imported
• Distrust of Western ideas
of government and
economy. Growth of . . .
– Socialism/communism
– Liberation theology

14. Economic Changes
• Drug trafficking had
both political and
economic effects in
regions of Latin
America.

15. Central America Drug
Trafficking routes