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Political Geography
Latin America
Emerging National economies:
Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa
Developing or newly industrialized countries (except Russia)
Large, fast growing economies and significant influence on global community
3 Billion people!! Leaders meet annually in a forum
that encourages economic, political and social cooperation
BRICS
266th Pope; 1st non-European in
1272 years Born in Buenos Aires, son of
Italian immigrants; Jorge Bergoglio
Known for: Humility Care for poor Bridging gap between groups,
social justice Conservative views
Made a Cardinal in 2001 by John Paul II
Pope Francis I
President of Venezuela from 1999 to his death
in 2013 Socialist quality of life improved according to a UN
Index and the poverty rate fell from 48.6 percent in 2002 to 29.5 percent in 2011
introduced a new constitution which increased rights for marginalized groups and altered the structure of Venezuelan government
program of land reform, while also nationalizing various key industries
Member of OPEC, known for trying to drive up prices
Anti-US, critical of involvement in LA and capitalism
Allies with Iran, Cuba, Nicaragua
Hugo Chavez
Vice president of Hugo
Chavez, president after death of Chavez
declared upon announcing Chávez's death that "historical enemies" had poisoned the president
Election on April 14th (Last week), very tight margin of victory
Expected to halt some of Chavez’ reforms due to economic constraints
Nicolás Maduro
Between opposing cartels
fighting for territory and the Mexican government
Mexican government was passive from 1980s to 2000
December 11, 2006, when the newly elected President Felipe Calderón sent 6,500 Mexican Army soldiers to the state of Michoacán to end drug violence there
During the 1980s and 90s, major efforts were made to cut off access to the Caribbean and Florida to the Colombian cartels Colombian cartels made a push
to get drugs through the Mexican border instead
Drug Wars
Cartels use extreme
violence to claim territory and spread fear Executions on YouTube,
banners with demands to scare people, body parts thrown into nightclubs, grenades into crowds
Driving investors and tourists away from Mexico
Bribe/threaten government officials
Over 60,000 people have been killed in the drug war and thousands are missing
Effects in Mexico
1959 Fidel Castro overthrew the corrupt
Cuban government Once in power:
Banned elections, violated civil liberties, denounced US, demanded Guantanamo, allied with Communist nations
US has used economic sanctions against Castro
After fall of USSR, Cuba faced hard times (as did N.K.) due to lack of support
2008, Castro stepped down in favor of his brother Raul Castro Announced that government restrictions
would be eased and removed some of Fidel’s government officials
Cuba
The Cuban government has been accused of numerous human rights
abuses including torture, arbitrary imprisonment, unfair trials, and executions
UN states that: the government represses nearly all forms of political dissent and that
Cubans are systematically denied basic rights to free expression, association, assembly, privacy, movement, and due process of law
The United States continues an embargo against Cuba "so long as it continues to refuse to move toward democratization and greater respect for human rights"
Cuba had the second-highest number of imprisoned journalists of any nation in 2008 (the People's Republic of China had the highest)
The right to use the Internet is granted only to selected locations and they may be monitored. Connecting to the Internet illegally can lead to a five-year prison sentence
Human Rights in Cuba
Why does the US have a military base in
Cuba?
Guantanamo Bay
Spanish-American War
US turned its attention to Spanish colonies of Cuba and Puerto Rico
1895 José Martí, writer and activist, led a Cuban revolt against Spain
Martí was killed in battle and Spain rounded up thousands of Cubans and sent them to Prison/Death camps
400,000 died of starvation and disease
American newspapers began publishing all about Cuban struggles
1898, battleship Maine ordered to Havana to show American interested
Maine was blown up a few weeks later in the harbor killing 260 Americans “Remember the Maine!” was
headline US declared war on Spain, lasted 4
months, US won
Treaty of Paris (1898) Cuba freed of
Spanish control Puerto Rico and
Guam ceded to US Philippines sold to
US for $20 million
Significance: US now world power
with colonies in Pacific and Caribbean
Relations with Cuba US temporarily took control
after war; built schools, roads, sanitation
helped Cuba make a democratic constitution Included Platt Amendment
Said Cuba would not sign any treaty that threatened independence and would allow US to help preserve independence Granted US naval base at
Guantanamo Bay
1902 US withdrew
Poorest country in the Americas first independent nation of Latin
America and the Caribbean the first black-led republic in the
world second republic in the Americas
when it gained independence in 1804 as part of a successful slave revolution lasting nearly a decade.
In 2012, Haiti announced its intention to seek associate membership status in the African Union.
Haiti
7.0 magnitude earthquake
struck Haiti on 12 January 2010 and devastated Port-au-Prince. death count was estimated at
220,000. UN:
shortage of skilled labor, widespread unemployment, more than two-thirds of the labor force do not have formal jobs,
describes pre-earthquake Haiti as "already the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere with 80% of the population living under the poverty line and 54% in abject poverty
Haitian Earthquake
Latin America has had many
military coups Typically a Junta: committee
composed of several officers, often from the military's most senior leadership
Or under a Caudillo-a single military leader Typically charismatic with
support of people (at the beginning, at least)
Cult of Personality
Junta
Panama Canal
Spanish-American War showed need for a canal from the Pacific to Atlantic Protect colonial empire Further commerce with Asia
French Attempt French architect Gustav Eiffel tried to build
canal, but failed Colombia: US negotiated a treaty to pay $10
million to Colombia to use colony of Panama for a canal Colombia refused; Theodore Roosevelt
enraged Shortly after a revolution broke out in Panama
and US aided rebels US negotiated treaty with new nation of
Panama US control of area “in perpetuity,” US could
intervene to keep order, paid $10 Million and yearly fee of $250,000 (now in millions)
US transferred control of Canal back to Panama in 1999
Takes 8-10 hours to go through, but can wait days to get through if not scheduled
Toll based on size of ship most expensive regular toll for
canal passage to date was charged on April 14, 2010 to the cruise ship Norwegian Pearl, which paid US$375,600.
The average toll is around US$54,000
The sea level at the Pacific side is about 20 centimeters (8 inches) higher than that of the Atlantic side due to differences in ocean conditions such as water densities and weather
current plan is for two new flights of locks to be built parallel to, and operated in addition to, the old locks Will cost $5.25 Billion and be
completed in 2025
Panama Canal Facts
Panama Canal
British Overseas territory since 1833
Argentina claims and invaded in 1982 ruling military junta sought to divert
public attention from Argentina's poor economic performance and growing internal opposition
Argentina reiterated its position towards the Falklanders in 2012, after a meeting of the UN Decolonization Committee
In 2013, Argentina dismissed the Falkland Islands' sovereignty referendum (99% voted to remain British citizens-only 3 people voted no)
The population, estimated at 2,932 in 2012
Served as a British Naval Base in WWI and WWII
Falkland Islands
1. What are the major drugs that the cartels are
smuggling in from Mexico?2. Describe the ideologies of the pope.3. Why did Chavez hate the US?4. Why does the US not like Chavez?5. What is the importance of the BRICS?
Dailies: Day 7