- SOCIALISM IN LATIN AMERICA

The socialist ideal also appeared in Latin America. Although our continent was not an industrial territory, the great differences and inequalities between the rich and the poor built the material conditions to accept the necessity of the revolution. January 1st, 1959, was the day of the triumph of the Cuban Revolution that after years of fighting came to power under the leadership of Fidel Castro and the legendary Ernesto Che Guevara. After the United States refused to accept Fidel Castro as the official president of Cuba, in 1962, Castro turned his eyes to the Soviet Union, a fact that lead to the Missile Crisis in which the world reached its most dangerous moment of the so-called Cold War, after which the USA declared the embargo that lasts to our days. From 1962 to the beginning of the 90’s, when the USSR disappeared, Cuba maintained all kinds of cooperation agreements with the USSR, including assistance in security, health and production, which were essentially economic agreements. During this relation, the main achievements of the Cuban Revolution were its education and health systems, especially devoted to children. In two years, Cuba became one of the few illiteracy-free countries. But after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Cuba stopped receiving the average yearly amount of 6 billion dollars and Cubans no longer had basic products for their daily survival. This, together with the US embargo, impoverished even more the Cuban population. In June 2006, Fidel Castro made a provisional transfer of the power to his brother Raul, and has never taken back the power since then. At present, the high number of people who have fled the island, the lack of food, the weak economic system, and hundreds of complaints of oppression, lack of democracy, and the lack of transparency in providing the true situation have made people doubt about the success of the revolution.

Another example of a socialist government in Latin America was Chile, where socialist President Salvador Allende came to power after winning the elections in 1970, after being defeated in 3 previous attempt. The workers’ government headed by Allende nationalized the mineral resources and the monopolist companies, and immediately sped up the agrarian reform. In addition, President Allende started a plan to redistribute income, increase salaries, and control prices to fight speculation. Opposition against Allende was strong and supported by the USA. The difficult situation led to an unmanageable economic crisis which, together with the strong opposition working together with the CIA (something which was discovered in recent years), ended up in the sad events of September 11th, 1973, when the Army, conducted by general Augusto Pinochet, destroyed Allende’s government and caused his death. In President Allende’s last speech, few hours before his death, he said: “Other men will surpass this darkness and painful moment in which treason attempts to be imposed. You have to continue knowing that, sooner than later, the great poplar groves through which the free man is going to pass are going to be opened again to build a better society. ¡Long live Chile! ¡Long live the people! ¡Long live the workers!” From 1973 to 1998, Augusto Pinochet ruled as a dictator who killed, tortured, or disappeared 100 000 people. Besides these crimes against mankind, Pinochet and his family have been accused of corruption with millions of dollars in Swiss banks. Pinochet died without being sentenced.

The Sandinista Revolution of Nicaragua was also a call to expand the left ideas in Latin America. The dictatorship of the Somoza Dynasty (1937-1979) increased poverty and corruption to extreme limits and this led, 42 years later, to the creation of the Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional (“FSLN”), which took power in Nicaragua in 1979. (The Front took the name from Augusto Sandino who opposed Anastasio Somoza in the 30’s and was finally killed by him.) Although the Government of the United States, specifically Ronald Regan, supported the “contrarevolución” (“contras”) to combat socialism in the continent, the Sandinistas took office and received the support of Cuba and many countries of the world to start their own socialist revolution. However, the economic, political, educational, and social instability lead to a civil war and the end of the “FSLN” Government. Elections were made and Violeta Chamorro, the widow of a former conservative journalist who opposed Somoza and was assassinated in 1978, became the new president of Nicaragua. In spite of the corruption discovered within the “FSLN” and in Daniel Ortega’s own life, he won the presidential elections in 2006 and is in office until now.