Title: What were the long term effects of the Latin American revolutions? - eNotes.com
Headings: What were the long term effects of the Latin American revolutions?
Latin American History
What were the long term effects of the Latin American revolutions?
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Content: In the short-term, countries on the continent had freed themselves from the yoke of imperialist oppression, becoming independent nations in their own right, able to take their rightful place within the international community. But in the long-term, it became clear that Latin America had simply traded one form of oppression for another. The form of Spanish colonial governance may have been dismantled, but the substance remained largely intact. The system of caudillismo, in which authoritarian regimes were based on the charisma of strongman political and military figures, became the norm throughout the continent, entrenching the economic and political power of a narrow social elite. Beyond this, an additional long-term consequence of the Latin American revolutions was the militarization of political power. Once the Spaniards had been deprived of their colonies, the various armies that had driven them from the continent stepped into the ensuing political vacuum, establishing authoritarian regimes that systemically deprived the new nations' citizens of basic rights and liberties. The militarization of political power also universalized the rigidly hierarchical social system of the countryside, in which the poorest members of society were kept in a permanent state of economic subordination. Last Updated by eNotes Editorial on February 26, 2021
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Revolutions in Latin America were a result of ripple effects from the successful revolutions that occurred in France and the United States of America. Revolutionaries emerged to oppose Spanish rule in South America, which was skewed to only favor the colonialists by exploiting the natives. Initial attempts at overthrowing Spanish rule failed, but early success was achieved in Haiti, Paraguay, and Argentina.