Modern Latin America (1945 to Present)

Mexico “The Mexican Miracle” (period of economic growth) 1946 Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) = authoritarian govt. 1960’s social inequality 1982 Economic Crisis PRI begins political decline 1994 NAFTA signed 1994 December Economic Crisis (U.S. sends aide) 1997 non-PRI party wins control of congress 2000 Democratization (Vicente Fox elected first non- PRI president) 2006 Felipe Calderon wins 2000’s Mexico Drug Wars GDP (PPP) rank = 11 th

1940’s Somoza reigns as dictator 1956 Somoza assassinated (family still has power) 1960’s-1970’s economic growth (oil & beef exports) 1979 Sandinistas lead revolution & seize power Daniel Ortega leader; moves toward communism Nicaragua 1980’s Contras vs. Sandinistas in civil war 1990 election = democratic reforms 2006 Daniel Ortega elected president 2011 re-elected Ortega GDP (PPP) rank = 125 th

1945 dictator removed by army democracy & economic boom 1964 military coup est. dictatorship Brazilian Miracle 1985 elections = democracy returns Brazil 1990’s free market reforms 1998 economic crisis & recession 2000’s political stability #1 economy in Latin America GDP (PPP) rank = 7 th

1943 military coup = dictatorship 1946 Juan Peron chosen as leader (wife is Eva Peron) 1955 military coup overthrows Peron 1960’s political turmoil & violence 1973 Juan Peron elected president 1976 military coup Dirty War Argentina 1982 Invasion of Falkland Islands 1983 free elections 1990’s-2000’s democracy economic recession 2003-Present economic growth GDP (PPP) rank = 21 st

Chile 1940’s-1960’s = model for stable democracy in region 1970 Salvador Allende elected president = economic decline 1973 military coup; Allende killed; Augusto Pinochet becomes ruthless dictator 1980’s economy improves 1988 plebiscite held; choose democracy Patricio Aylwin Azocar president; Pinochet military leader 1990’s economic prosperity (1 st in region) 2000’s growing & stable economy 2006 Pinochet dies GDP (PPP) rank = 43 rd

Peru 1940’s-1970’s = rotation between democracy & military govt.; economic problems 1980’s = economic depression; terrorism by Shining Path & Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (MRTA) 1990 Alberto Fujimori elected president 2000 Fujimori flees & is arrested 2000’s economic growth; terrorists still active GDP (PPP) rank = 40 th

Colombia = La Violencia results in rotation between democracy & military govt. 1970’s = model stable economy; FARC (guerilla group) vs. govt. 1970’s = Drug Era begins 1980’s = war on drugs 1990’s = drug wars and violence 2000’s U.S. aides in fight against violence; overall decrease across nation GDP (PPP) rank = 40 th

El Salvador 1990’s = FMLN vs. ARENA for political power 2000’s = poor economy 2009 = FMLN candidate wins presidency 1940’s-1960’s = dictatorship 1969 = Football War (invasion of Honduras) 1970’s = govt. protests = civil war 1992 = Chapultepec Peace Accords ends civil war GDP (PPP) rank = 93 rd

Panama 1980’s = U.S. & Panama relations strained (drugs) 1989 = U.S. Invasion of Panama 1990’s = moves to democracy 1999 = U.S. turns over control of Panama Canal 2000’s = war on drugs; economic investments 1940’s-1950’s = a republic 1950’s = military challenges govt = Martyrs’ Day riots 1968 = military coup; Omar Torrijos dictator 1977 = Torrijos-Carter Treaty 1981 = Torrijos dies; Manuel Noriega dictator GDP (PPP) rank = 90 th

Cuba 1960’s = Cuba aides communist revolutions 1960’s-1980’s = economic and social problems 1990’s = economic reforms 2008 = Fidel Castro steps down; Raul Castro becomes president 1944 = Batista looses re-election 1952 = bloodless coup; Batista dictator 1956 = Cuban Revolution; Fidel Castro dictator GDP (PPP) rank = 63 rd 1940 = free elections; Fulgencio Batista president Cold War Battleground: 1961 = Bay of Pigs Invasion 1962 = Cuban Missile Crisis = U.S. trade/travel embargo

Puerto Rico 1950’s = Operation Bootstrap 1950’s-60’s = economic growth 1970’s-80’s = economy slows; people move to U.S & 1998 = vote to remain as commonwealth of U.S. 2000’s = struggle to define political status 1947 = U.S. grants self govt = Luis Munoz first governor 1950 = constitution 1952 = commonwealth of the United States GDP (PPP) rank = n/a

Dominican Republic 1965 = U.S. sends aide to prevent communism 1966 = constitution; democracy spreads 1970’s-80’s = political stability; economic growth 1990’s = economic recession 2000’s = poverty, immigration; democratic elections = dictatorship; Rafael Trujillo 1950’s = economic issues 1960 = OAS sanctions 1961 = Trujillo killed 1962 = Juan Bosch elected 1963 = military coup GDP (PPP) rank = 73 rd

Haiti 1970’s = economic & political decline/problems 1980’s = Duvalier resigns, new election; military coup 1990’s-2000’s = Jean-Bertrand Aristide to Rene Preval “circus” 2010 earthquake kills est. 200,000 to 300,000 people = democracy 1946 = military coup 1950 = military coup 1956 = general strike; leader resigns GDP (PPP) rank = 139 th 1957 = Francois Duvalier (aka Papa Doc) president 1960’s = authoritarian govt = Jean-Claude Duvalier (aka Baby Doc) president