Once you have identified the intervention(s) or military operation assigned to you for the Wiki, do some research. Google the most recent intervention for the country assigned to you if there are more than one, or the military operation. Do some research on the Web. Try to learn how the people of the country into which the US intervened felt about it. What do you think would be their explanation for the intervention or military operation. Then adopt the perspective of a Latin American nationalist and write a 100 word contribution to the blog describing why the US intervened as it did.
The pairings.
[10+21]-Haiti; [5+20]-Operation Condor; [4+15]-Mexico;
[2+17+18]- Nicaragua; [11+13]-Operation Charly; [1+9]- Guatemala;
[14+24]- El Salvador; [7+22]-Iran-Contra; [6+23]-Chile;
[12+19]-Brazil; [8+16]-Uruguay.
[4+15]-Mexico Operation;
ReplyDeleteDrug trafficking has been a huge problem in Mexico for years. A lot of the drug dealing and drugs are imported into the United States. Mexican President Felipe Calderon has issued an immediate force upon the removal of the drug lords in Mexico. But in order for this mission to succeed, they must work with the United States because a lot of the drug lords in Mexico have connections in the United States. President Obama and Mexican president Felipe Calderon have issued surveillance aircraft over the border and in Mexican cities. With their support and teamwork, they should be able to slow the drug trafficking down.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=12641
[7+22] Iran-Contra
ReplyDeleteThe Iran/Contra Affair was an illegal operation of the trading of weapons between Israel & Iran, with the help of the United States. The operation started in 1979 but didn't become public until 1985-86 when Israeli officials described publicly that the US was aiding them in the flow of arms to the Ayatollah Khomeini regime. The US was furious that their cover had been blown and they tried to hide their involvement. The public was torn as to what to believe, then in 1986 a US supply plane was shot down in Nicaragua and they captured the US agent on board. At this time it was impossible to hide the US's involvement any longer because Israel and Iran had shown the world the true involvement.
[1+9] The United States intervention, in Guatemala in 1982, and 1983 was for no other reason but to give support and power to Rios Montt whom showed himself to be anticommunist. His ties to the United States only furthered the support from President Reagan. President Reagan visited and, declared “President Rios Montt is a man of great person integrity and commitment. I know he wants to improve the quality of life for all Guatemalans and to promote social justice.” If this were true, when President Reagan claimed Guatemalas human rights conditions were on the rise, and were greatly improving. While he claimed this; it allowed for President Reagan to overturn the arms embargo, which allowed the U.S. in 1983 to sell millions dollars worth of military goods, to our government. All of this was done even when reports showed that there were human rights violations. The United States was more concerned about the profit from the country to realize that the human rights were still less than subpar. Guatemalans at this point are eager to return to the Central American Defense Council, and join forces with El Salvador and Honduras.
ReplyDelete[20 + 5] For the last 30 years, Operation Condor has been a huge mystery to those in Chile, primarily due to the lack of a democracy present. It has not been until recently, in the two past decades, the people of Chili have become to understand what Operation Condor was for. Operation Condor according to documents later discovered in Paraguay, was established at a military intelligence meeting in Chile on November 25, 1975. The goal of the Operation was to eliminate socialist and communist leaders. This was formulated by Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, and the United States as a supervisory force. During the Operation, many left-wing opponents of military regimes in the region who had fled to neighboring countries found themselves hunted down in exile. Over ten years later these kidnappings and exiles where still not resolved, but justice was impossible because of amnesties granted to the perpetrators in 1978. Chilean citizens are appalled by their former government regime and that the United States provided key organizational, financial and technical assistance to the operation all in the name of ridding the Latin American countries of communist and socialists.
ReplyDelete[14+ 24] The U.S. backed the Salvadorian military government despite the tensions and violence that existed in the country before the war. El Salvador became the top recipient of U.S. aid, including money and troops, and U.S. supported death squad activity was rampant. Thousands of innocent lives were lost thanks to the oppressive government of El Salvador and the U.S. Many were internally displaced and others fled to other countries as refugees. Without U.S. intervention, El Salvador would have exhausted its resources fighting itself, and the war would not have lasted so long. Many lives could have been saved if the U.S. did not intervene. The U.S. was assisting a government that violated human rights and had no reason to get involved in Latin American business in the first place. The U.S. claims to have intervened to protect their country from a possible Communist advance because they believed the FMLN rebels were Communist supporters. El Salvadorians wanted social and economic reform in order to better their living conditions, but the corrupt, unjust, and inhumane government would not listen or cooperate with the poor and working-classes, so civil war ensued. The U.S. was only concerned with their own priorities, not about the El Salvadorians suffering under the oppression of the military government of their country.
ReplyDelete[23 + 6] Chile: The United States has intervened in Chile in order to keep Chile from gaining its economic independence. Chile’s dependence on the United States has been existent for over 90 years. During the 1920’s, the two major mining companies in the United States, Anaconda and Kennecott, took control of Chile’s resources. Chile's giant copper mines were developed by United States economic interests, although Europe remained a larger market for Chilean products. Until the 1970’s, these United States companies controlled anywhere from seven to twenty percent of Chile’s Gross Domestic Product. At the end of World War II, Chile could not sell the excess copper they processed as all sales were being conducted through the United States firms. The hard-working citizens of Chile deserved high wages and improved working conditions. So, the Chilean military turned elsewhere for its procurement needs and encouraged the development of a domestic arms industry to replace United States equipment.
ReplyDelete[10+21] Many of recent U.S. involvements with Haiti have been in regards to stopping drug trafficking and in emergency response to the 2010 earthquake. Since 2004 the U.S. helped exile President Aristide to Africa much of the policies made have been to try to prevent and/or stop drug trafficking. Many of the past policies held by the U.S. toward Haiti have negatively affected the Haitian people and their civil rights. In light of recent events and in the large number of Haitian migrants policy makers have decided to take the “high road” trying to maintain good relationships that foster democracy. If I were a Haitian, I would be very skeptical of any involvement with the United States, however in the instances of disaster relief and putting an end to drug trafficking, a working relationship must be reached. As Haiti is a major transshipment point for drug suppliers, the United States has started training a counternarcotics division of the Haitian National Police, as well as providing material assistance and training to the Haitian Coast Guard for drug prohibition. In January 2010 a 7.0 earthquake struck 15 miles southwest of Port-au-prince causing catastrophic damage. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) authorized $50,000 for initial implementation of an emergency response program, established a task force to coordinate search and rescue efforts, conduct needs assessments and logistic & infrastructure support. Within 24 hours of the earthquake, U.S. Air Force Special Operations command personnel dispatched to Port-au-Prince and restored air traffic control, enable airfield operations, and provided immediate medical services as well as aiding in search and rescue efforts. After two months, the Department of Defense delivered 2.1 million bottled waters, 1.79 million food rations, more than 100,000 pounds of medical supplies, 844,000 gallons of bulk fuel and 20,458 military personnel stationed in Haiti or the surrounding waters.
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haiti_%E2%80%93_United_States_relations#Combating_Drug_Trafficking
[11 + 13] Operation Charly (1977-1984) was the code-name of the covert operation headed by the Argentine military, with the agreement of The Pentagon, to extend to Central America the extreme methods of repression used in the "Dirty War" in Argentina. The United States had to intervene in order to manage the threat of communism. The Argentine military carried out covert operations that the CIA could not manage under President Carter’s administration. It was very important for the United States to intervene because of revolutionary left-wing opposition. The United States could not be directly involved because of the National Security Doctrine.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Operation_Charly
[12+19] Brazil: Brazilian President Joao Goulart was overthrown by the U.S. intervention. He was not well liked in the country by the government and the people of Brazil. This was primary due to his views on education reform, tax reform, electoral reform, land reform and urban reform. The government of Brazil opposed Goulart's education reform because 15% of Brazil income would be redirected back to education in order to fight adult illiteracy. Goulart also wanted electoral reform by extending voting rights to be uneducated and low ranking military officers along with income tax being in correspondence with personal income profits. The people of Brazil were opposed to him because his land reform wouldn't allow anyone to own land over over 600 acres. Another issue people had was urban reform. It stated that a person could only own one house and if they owned more they would have to give there property away for free or at very low prices.
ReplyDelete[2+17+18] From 1981-1990, the United States’ Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) planted harbor mines in civilian harbors in order to overthrow the Sandinista government of Nicaragua. IN 1983, the CIA came up with a group of “Unilaterally Controlled Latino Assets” (UCLAs) to sabotage ports, refineries, boats and bridges to try to make it look like the contras (rebel groups opposing Nicaragua’s government) had done it. In 1984, the UCLA’s carried out the operation that led to the mining of several Nicaraguan harbors. This act led to several Nicaraguan boats sunk, damaged at least five foreign vessels, which resulted in around 50,000 people being murdered. This had led to the ratifying of the Boland Amendment which made it illegal under the U.S. to provide arms to the Contra militants. The Contras waged a revolution in efforts to get rid of the government of Nicaragua and to seize power. As the revolution continued, the Sandinistas struggled to maintain power with U.S. aid. They were overthrown in 1990. They were forced to agree to the elections by the U.S. and the Contras and lost them.
ReplyDelete[8+16] In the 1960s the Tupamaros political movement started to gain power in the urban centers of Uruguay. They were a modern-day Robin Hood, robbing banks and stores, distributing their “booty” to the poor of Montevideo. Eventually, they started gaining power and President Pacheco began to suppress the uprising working class, who was supported by the Tupamaros. In response to the suppression, the Tupamaros began to kidnap and interrogate high ranking officials, and by 1970 had many government workers in a prison of their own. That’s when the United States intervened, and it all went down hill. The FBI began training military personnel and the police in torture and interrogation tactics. Soon high ranking members of the Tupamaros began to disappear. Their leaders began to turn against them, and this resulted in a failed attempt to overthrow the government. The military’s torture tactics were so effective; they were able to force the new president Juan Bordaberry to hand over his power. That’s when all hell broke loose, prison camps were formed and whole families began to disappear. For the nest decade we all lived in fear of the hellish torture brought to Uruguay by the U.S. government.
ReplyDelete