Liberalism and conservatism in Latin America
Encyclopedia
Liberalism
and conservatism
in Latin America have unique historical roots. Latin America
n independence began to occur in 1808 after the French Revolution
and the subsequent Napoleonic Wars
that eventually engulfed all of Europe
. French
revolutionaries in the 1790s began an intellectual awakening called the Enlightenment. The Enlightenment period opened the door for ideas of positivism in Latin American society. People in Latin America turned to liberal
ideologies. Liberalism means the idea of liberty, equality, and popular sovereignty. Liberalism during the early 19th century in Latin American clashed with conservative
views. Liberals wanted to see change in the ruling systems of Latin America. They wanted to "step out of the box" of tradition, meaning that liberals wanted to open the boxes of the church
system, cultural
background inequalities, and slavery
. These issues for many years strongly affected the way that Latin American society was organized. Liberals wanted to see kings
no longer in power. The majority of liberals believed in a democratic
system of government
. This system would create many changes and much confusion in Latin American communities in the early 19th century.
On the other hand, conservatism was a pre-existing dominant system that was rooted in Latin America. Conservative governing systems consist of kings and ruling blood lines. Unlike liberalism, conservatives wanted to stay inside the box. They didn't want to step out and try a new ruling system, they felt that chaos
and disorder
in society would break out. Latin American conservatives greatly believed in class
stratification. In a nutshell, conservatives didn't want to see any change in government in Latin America.
The contest between Liberals and Conservatives in Latin America, while sweeping in effect, was largely fought between members of the landed, white or creole elite. Systems in place from the colonial period—such as slavery, patronage by the elite, and debt peonage—meant that the great mass of Indians, Africans, and people of mixed race had little, if any power compared to the very small creole ruling class. Thus, the concern that liberalization would lead to "disorder" that the conservatives spoke about was often a veiled or transparent fear of race war.
Caudillo
s soon came to power in some Latin American societies, such as Argentina
and Mexico
. Caudillos were conservatives who promised protection and restoration of traditional ways to the people. They were generally pragmatic, believing in a ruling system of what works best. Caudillos used military
force to hold society together.
In several countries the desperation stemming from poverty, governmental neglect, corrupt politics, and unrealizable progress, has stimulated charismatic local leaders to initiate regional protest movements. Northeastern Brazil, Eastern Colombia, the Peruvian Andes, and the Mexican state of Chiapas are some of the sites of such movements.
In Peru, some terrorist groups took advantage of the situation and stimulated under the lack of action from the government, specially in education grounds, may presented themselves as liberal guerrilla fighting against conservatism. The Shining Path
, for example was responsible for thousands of deaths and massive infrastructure destruction between the years of 1970 and 1992, ended when its leader was captured, and transformed into a narcoterrorist group until today. Another Peruvian rebel group, the Tupac Amarú Revolutionary Movement
, also responsible for some other terrorist acts, captured the Japanese embassy in Lima in 1996, also under the same excuse and held dozens of diplomats and military personnel hostage for several months, finally the Peruvian government troops successfully ended their actions.
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
and conservatism
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
in Latin America have unique historical roots. Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
n independence began to occur in 1808 after the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
and the subsequent Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
that eventually engulfed all of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
revolutionaries in the 1790s began an intellectual awakening called the Enlightenment. The Enlightenment period opened the door for ideas of positivism in Latin American society. People in Latin America turned to liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
ideologies. Liberalism means the idea of liberty, equality, and popular sovereignty. Liberalism during the early 19th century in Latin American clashed with conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
views. Liberals wanted to see change in the ruling systems of Latin America. They wanted to "step out of the box" of tradition, meaning that liberals wanted to open the boxes of the church
Christian Church
The Christian Church is the assembly or association of followers of Jesus Christ. The Greek term ἐκκλησία that in its appearances in the New Testament is usually translated as "church" basically means "assembly"...
system, cultural
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
background inequalities, and slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
. These issues for many years strongly affected the way that Latin American society was organized. Liberals wanted to see kings
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
no longer in power. The majority of liberals believed in a democratic
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
system of government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
. This system would create many changes and much confusion in Latin American communities in the early 19th century.
On the other hand, conservatism was a pre-existing dominant system that was rooted in Latin America. Conservative governing systems consist of kings and ruling blood lines. Unlike liberalism, conservatives wanted to stay inside the box. They didn't want to step out and try a new ruling system, they felt that chaos
Civil disorder
Civil disorder, also known as civil unrest or civil strife, is a broad term that is typically used by law enforcement to describe one or more forms of disturbance caused by a group of people. Civil disturbance is typically a symptom of, and a form of protest against, major socio-political problems;...
and disorder
Anomie
Anomie is a term meaning "without Law" to describe a lack of social norms; "normlessness". It describes the breakdown of social bonds between an individual and their community ties, with fragmentation of social identity and rejection of self-regulatory values. It was popularized by French...
in society would break out. Latin American conservatives greatly believed in class
Social class
Social classes are economic or cultural arrangements of groups in society. Class is an essential object of analysis for sociologists, political scientists, economists, anthropologists and social historians. In the social sciences, social class is often discussed in terms of 'social stratification'...
stratification. In a nutshell, conservatives didn't want to see any change in government in Latin America.
The contest between Liberals and Conservatives in Latin America, while sweeping in effect, was largely fought between members of the landed, white or creole elite. Systems in place from the colonial period—such as slavery, patronage by the elite, and debt peonage—meant that the great mass of Indians, Africans, and people of mixed race had little, if any power compared to the very small creole ruling class. Thus, the concern that liberalization would lead to "disorder" that the conservatives spoke about was often a veiled or transparent fear of race war.
Caudillo
Caudillo
Caudillo is a Spanish word for "leader" and usually describes a political-military leader at the head of an authoritarian power. The term translates into English as leader or chief, or more pejoratively as warlord, dictator or strongman. Caudillo was the term used to refer to the charismatic...
s soon came to power in some Latin American societies, such as Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. Caudillos were conservatives who promised protection and restoration of traditional ways to the people. They were generally pragmatic, believing in a ruling system of what works best. Caudillos used military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
force to hold society together.
In several countries the desperation stemming from poverty, governmental neglect, corrupt politics, and unrealizable progress, has stimulated charismatic local leaders to initiate regional protest movements. Northeastern Brazil, Eastern Colombia, the Peruvian Andes, and the Mexican state of Chiapas are some of the sites of such movements.
In Peru, some terrorist groups took advantage of the situation and stimulated under the lack of action from the government, specially in education grounds, may presented themselves as liberal guerrilla fighting against conservatism. The Shining Path
Shining Path
Shining Path is a Maoist guerrilla terrorist organization in Peru. The group never refers to itself as "Shining Path", and as several other Peruvian groups, prefers to be called the "Communist Party of Peru" or "PCP-SL" in short...
, for example was responsible for thousands of deaths and massive infrastructure destruction between the years of 1970 and 1992, ended when its leader was captured, and transformed into a narcoterrorist group until today. Another Peruvian rebel group, the Tupac Amarú Revolutionary Movement
Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement
The Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement was a Marxist revolutionary group active in Peru from the early 1980s to 1997 and one of the main actors in the internal conflict in Peru...
, also responsible for some other terrorist acts, captured the Japanese embassy in Lima in 1996, also under the same excuse and held dozens of diplomats and military personnel hostage for several months, finally the Peruvian government troops successfully ended their actions.