Che Guevara

Che Guevara, a violent revolutionary, made his fame in a number of violent coups’s and overthrows. He was called a Marxist, physician, military theorist, author, politician, and a guerilla leader. Although he was known for all of these titles his legacy left behind was that of change through bloodshed.

As a young medical student Guevara spent time traveling South America and seeing the poverty epidemic first-hand. Guevara believed that the world’s intrinsic economic issues were due to greed and monopoly capitalism, the only remedy became a world revolution. Guevara travelled the world speaking on his ideas of socialism and the theory and practice of guerilla warfare. He played a violent role in uprisings and attempted coup’s in Guatemala, Cuba, Bolivia and the Congo-Kinshasa. The uprising in Cuba being his most famous, he supported and fought with fellow socialist Fidel Castro to overthrow the CIA imposed Fulgencio Batista.

Che Guevara was captured in Bolivia and was executed by the Bolivian military after days of failed interrogation. Although he was mourned by some, many governments and political leaders felt a weight of relief leaving their shoulders. Guevara’s legacy left will be one of violent change in South America over three decades.

A Restless Bolvia

Bolivia is currently on the verge of a civil war, as a right-wing coalition of land-owners and businessmen have become disenchanted with President Evo Morales’ rule. They have launched violent demonstrations, massacred peasants supporting the government, and have looted many government buildings across the nation. 1,000 peasants were on their way to a pro-government rally in the city of Cotija, and were met with machine-gun fire from Para-military gangs on September 11th. As of September 18th the death toll stood at 25, with 106 peasants still missing. The very next day, Morales declared a state of siege and mobilized troops into the Pando province. As the troops tried to enforce the state of siege in Pando, they were met with gun fire which resulted in two deaths.

Bolivia has severe unequal distribution of both land and wealth. Only five percent of the population holds 91 percent of the land. 80 percent of the rural population is living on only three percent of the land. The wealth in Bolivia lie in the Low-lying Easter part of the country, and the more rural western part of the country is more indigenous and does not share the same wealth. Morales himself is indigenous, and comes from the poor Western part of Bolivia, and when he took office he amended the constitution to allow lands which are “lying fallow or for which there is no clear title to be transferred to the peasants.” This amendment to the constitution is the root cause for the violence and unhappiness in Bolivia. The Union of South American Nations has acted quickly to try and stop the potential civil war, and many are worried that if Bolivia does enter a full-scale civil-war the entire region could be de-stabilized. This could potentially lead to the cutoff of crucial energy and supplies which in turn could lead to a severe economic disruption in the area.

Morales has worked hard for the peasants of Bolivia, and it is disheartening to see such a negative response from the Wealthy members of Bolivian society. Hopefully in the coming months Morales and the wealthy landlords will be able to come to a compromise and the violence will come to a halt. If no compromise can be made, we will unfortunately see much more violence, and perhaps a huge economic crisis in South America.

Links for further reading:
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/sep2008/boli-s16.shtml
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7615485.stm
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/15/world/americas/15bolivia.html

FARC: Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, also known as the FARC are a Marxist-Leninist revolutionary guerrilla movement. They are considered a terrorist group by the United States Department of State, Canada, the European Union, and by the Colombian government. The FARC were established as a guerrilla movement within the military wing of the Colombian communist party, and have remained relatively close to the communist party. The FARC is well organized along military lines and is governed by a secretariat, which has changed several times throughout its existence.


The group claims to represent the peasants of Colombia against the Wealthy class of Colombians and United States influence. Other sources of discontent range from the privitization of natural resources, paramilitary violence, and large multi-national corporations. The FARC has negotiated with the Colombian government over issues of demilitarization of certain areas of the country, and over the release of FARC members and supporters from prison. However, they do not get along with the government and do plan to take control of the government through armed revolution. The group is primarily funded by extortion, kidnapping, and through the cocaine trade. Today there are approximately 6,000-8,000 members of the FARC, who have their strongholds in the Southeast jungles and in the plains at the base of the Andean mountains. The FARC is the oldest and largest insurgent group in the Americas.


The FARC has been heavily criticized throughout its existence for many human rights violations. The group has attacked civilians on numerous occasions, recruited child soldiers and has committed torture. The group has also been criticized for straying from their original goals. While the FARC claims that they are fighting for the Colombian peasants, they are harming these people more than they are helping. They are extorting them, they are promoting and trafficking drugs, and harming innocent civilians.



Links for further reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farc
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=5&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.globalsecurity.org%2Fmilitary%2Fworld%2Fpara%2Ffarc.htm&ei=CMIISYXjG6KSuwXUk9SJDA&usg=AFQjCNFDc-hEWtsL_c8r2wiCFAj65_zdDg&sig2=h2G8Nz7_cJBwC2XUXEj71Q
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=14&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.bbc.co.uk%2F1%2Fhi%2Fworld%2Famericas%2F1746777.stm&ei=CMIISYXjG6KSuwXUk9SJDA&usg=AFQjCNHd6eFSJckMTRxgg76jK61MRN2LyQ&sig2=O_S-HssUnRVeacZNgHHLFw

The "Shining Path" in Peru

The Shining Path is an organization in Peru which had became significant around a period of internal strife organized in 1980. It is a Communist organization that purports to bring a "New Democracy" to Peru. This basic ideology is ironic in that by imposing a dictatorship of the proletariat, the Shining Path's true goal is to arrive at pure communism, the furthest removed political ideology from democracy. As an agency, it is typically considered to be a criminal organization and a terrorist group by Peru and the United States. Its leader until 1992 was Abimael Gúzman, who was instrumental in leading the 1980 conflict which put the Shining Path on the map.

The insurrection began in 1980 when Peru allowed elections for the first time in decades. Declining to participate, the Shining Path decided to burn ballots in the Ayacucho region as a form of protest, though the incident garnered little interest and the election proceeded without a hitch. Despite this, the group gradually gained popularity throughout the early 1980s amongst the peasant class for its rather ruthless methods of killing people like cattle rustlers whom the peasants hated, whereby the peasants pledged their support to the organization. The lack of government response to the Shining Path throughout 1980 also gave the group strength, as peasants took the government's lackluster response as meaning it was uninterested in their affairs while the Shining Path was.

The government reversed its position in 1981, however, and declared 3 areas of the Andes a threat to itself, in the meantime capturing and torturing hundreds of innocent people in its quest to stop the Shining Path. As a recourse, some peasants organized themselves in groups called rondas, who were opposed to the Shing Path and attacked its members. This only led to retaliation on the part of the Shining Path, who led massacres in Lucanamarco and other areas of the Ayacucho region, killing about 150 people. Not content with limiting itself to the countryside, the group became infamous for mounting attacks in urban centers, which included such tactics as causing blackouts and using bombs to injure crowds. They were also recorded as becoming adept at assassinations against key figures of other leftist groups, increasing their reputation in Peru. By 1991, it was estimated that the Shining Path controlled much of the countryside of central and southern Peru and a cult of personality had begun to rise around Gúzman, leading to his influence in the philosophy of the group.

Unfortunately for Peru, the Shining Path, though suppressed for a time after 1992 when Gúzman was captured, has never been totally eradicated by the government. The Peruvian government lacks the financial and military background to deal with the problem of guerilla warfare. They lack the ability to bring around any real change in the rural areas of Peru, where the Shining Path thrives. Economic aid and development is needed in these regions to deter the ever-growing movement of the Shining Path. In the poverty stricken areas of Peru the Shining Path recruits and lives without any notable governmental presence. Also, the connection between the F.A.R.C and the Shining Path allows the group more and more support economically and ethically. Even though recently the government has made notable attempts at arresting and detaining the leaders of the Shining Path much more is needed to bring down this insurgency.


Links for further reading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shining_Path
http://www.pinr.com/report.php?ac=view_report&report_id=723
http://www.coha.org/2008/05/the-rise-and-fall-of-shining-path/

Soccer Violence in Latin America

Resurgent Soccer violence throughout the Latin American Countries of Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay, Mexico, and Chile has become a major concern and is threatening the integrity of the sport and health of spectators. President Nicolas Leoz, of the South American Soccer federation, COMNEBOL states that the federation is highly concerned by the problem, "We are worried about these incidents in Latin America. This violence has nothing whatsoever to do with genuine soccer." The authorities are developing plans on how to stop the violence. The stadiums are primarily hiring military and off duty police as a security force to patrol and safeguard million dollar stadiums, filled with fanatical fans. Many of the times these fanatical fans use sticks and stones during these fights which can lead to more serious injuries. Often this fanaticism leads to fights and brawls, which can ultimately lead to serious injury or death.
This unrest comes from fan trouble in Europe which has been prevalent for nearly a century. Argentina has developed a reputation for having the most violent hooligans, whose ages vary from as young as fifteen to as old as fifty. At lease 149 people in Argentina have died since 1939 in violent outbreaks linked to the sport and fan incidents. Much of this violence stems from the barras bravas, groups of soccer hooligans, similar to their European counterpart's, ultras. Javier Castrilli, a top regulator of the sport in Argentina said team executives can no longer cast a blind eye on the barra brava, saying it was time to crack down on such scum.
Soccer has become a part of national past time in many Latin American Countries, the people are very serious about the sport, and fans are fanatical about their teams. This violence first and foremost effects the younger fans, introducing them to such severe violence at a young age. Soccer clubs are also penalized by the Soccer federation for injuries and damages done during fan violence at matches.




Links for Further reading:
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/world/2007-02-22-latin-america-violence_x.htm
http://www.originaldissent.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1726
http://wais.stanford.edu/Sports/sports_laandsoccer11101.html
http://www.amnesty.org/

Augusto Pinochet: A Reign of Violence

Augusto Pinochet was the president of Chile from 1973 until 1990. His rule was initiated by a military coup in 1973 which influenced his rise to power. This coup began when the major armed forces in Chile, fed up with the current Allende administration, decided to overthrow his government and shell the presidential palace, killing Allende in the assault. Although Pinochet's actual interest and involvement in the coup was questioned, as commander-in-chief of the Chilean army his significance could not be questioned. The coup was started on September 11, 1973 and very quickly dissolved the reigning governmental regime.

By September 13, a military junta had been established as the new government in Chile. Pinochet represented the army, while José Merino represented the Navy, Gustavo Leigh represented the Air Force, and César Mendoza represented the national police. Working together, the junta quickly threw out the existing Constitution and Congress, imposed censorship and a curfew on inhabitants, and halted all political activity within the country. From this point, the junta functioned as a governing body until December of 1974. The junta had originally decided to rotate control of Chile among the 4 branches, but Pinochet used his power to take absolute control of Chile and declared himself president.

After assuming control, Pinochet used the power of the junta to violently suppress all political opposition to his regime. All other political parties were eventually banned with some 2,500 people exectued and tens of thousands of others tortured during this time period. He also instituted Operation Condor, a military movement which banded together several South American countries to track down and eliminate all threats to Chile's government. Several former officials of Allende's government were killed in this manner. Several scandals occurred under this operation, however, including some cases in which Pinochet assassinated Un officials and Chilean ambassadors to the US, leading to strained ties between the two countries. Other scandals included the assassination of three members of the Communist party, which led Mendoza to resign, and two protesters being burned alive in 1986.

Ultimately, Pinochet's reign of violence changed the scope of Chile's government as well as the lives of its citizens. However, also ascribed to the Chilean president's credit is the beneficial effect of his economic policy. He began a systematic deregulation and privatization of business practices which helped spur forward the Chilean economy in the 1980s at a time when other countries in Latin America were experiencing difficulty. Despite his malevolent effect on the Chilean people and the suppression of political opposition, Pinochet's reign also helped Chile by strengthening its economic foundation.

Links for further reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augusto_Pinochet
http://www.mundoandino.com/Chile/History-pinochet
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6289209.stm

Military Dictatorship in Argentina: 1976-1983

At the end of World War II, a multitude of peoples sought refuge from the Allied governments, especially former Nazis and communists. They found this refuge in the country of Argentina, where they mixed with other groups who followed communist or other left-wing doctrines and helped instill the Peronism movement. This movement, named after Juan Perón, was an influential impetus among the people to pursue a more populist form of government. Perón returned from 20 years exile in 1973 to spearhead this movement. His return marked a period of extreme civil unrest within the country, and his election was made by a very divided group of Peronists. Perón himself allied with the right-wing group after his election, which led the left-wing group to oppose his rule.
On July 1, 1974 Perón died and was succeeded by his wife, Isabel. Isabel's reign saw the signing of several decrees, known as annihilation decrees, which gave the military the power to eliminate and subdue any left-wing existence. In turn, this sparked more unrest with the left-wing polities who opposed Perón's rule over them. They were powerless against the military forces, however. These forces, led by Jorge Rafael Videla, conducted raids of suspected Communist peoples, often capturing and torturing their suspects as a means of exerting their influence over Argentina.
This influence was even more apparent when on March 24, 1976 Videla, Emilio Eduardo Massera, and Orlando Agosti overthrew Isabel Perón as president and began a miliatristic government regime. This regime, which lasted the period from 1976-1983, was responsible for organizing the illegal arrests, torture, killing, disappearance, and other such crimes of thousands of suspected left-wing people. Estimates have put numbers as high as 30,0000 for the number of people that disappeared during this time, which does not include known deaths or other crimes propagated against the Argentinian people. The regime finally came to an end in late 1983 when the military government attempted an invasion of the Falkland islands, which the British held a highly contested claim to. The British army decimated the Argentinian army in the Falklands, which led to the decline of the military power reign in Argentina. During its tenure, however, its vast genocidal effects were felt by tens of thousands of people.


Links for further reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirty_war
http://www.onwar.com/aced/nation/all/argentina/fargentina1976.htm
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=5&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2FWORLD%2F9803%2F02%2Fargentina.dirty.war%2F&ei=cyvISLyiMJy28ATur4GDDA&usg=AFQjCNEaCMVFZ8euLSxvIhDqrg6rNYN2lQ&sig2=-d0OA0CxtgbjbB1L2g9QOA