*Thank you for visiting my new site. I apologize for any missing content. I am in the process of migrating from an expired domain. I am also updating the content and improving the quality of the writing. I expect all updates to be completed by March 2015. Thank you for your patience. -Rebecca
The intention of this website is to educate others about the human rights violations that occurred in South America during the revolutions and counter revolutions that swept through the continent during the 20th century. It was difficult to choose a starting point in history to explain how so many Latin American countries fell into dictatorships. Some believe the cause can be traced all the way back to the class hierarchy established by colonialism. The scope of my research does not extend that far. I have chosen instead to begin with the presidency preceding the dictatorship in each respective country. No one can dispute that the global political climate caused by the cold war certainly set the stage for each country to fall into the hands of dictators. A wave of Marxist thought swept across the globe while the elite right clung to their privileges. This conflict in ideology turned family and neighbors against each other. Communism and capitalism in that era was a dichotomy. One or the other. "With us or against us." To that respect the United States was a key player in the demise of democratically elected leaders in each respective country.
Within this website I will list a brief overview of the important events, key locations, and important people in relation the dictatorships. I have also included a section entitled “lasting impact” which will discuss the lingering political issues caused by the military juntas. For now my research focuses solely on Argentina, Chile, and Spain. You may wonder why I am including Spain since it is outside of thematic geographic focus. Well, it is my belief that the Spanish Civil war influenced both the revolutions and the counter revolutions in South America. Understanding the atrocities committed during the Spanish civil war and the subsequent dictatorship will shed light on the South American experience. The big names in both countries reappear in the history of others. Indeed, Europe and America's struggle with capitalism/communism and justice for human rights violations greatly influenced the atrocities committed in South America. L'ecole Frances, a torture detainment center in Argentina is believed to have been run by former French soldiers who had tortured victims in Algiers. Former Nazi generals who sought refuge in South America quickly found a place in the new military regimes. These histories of human rights violations and war intertwine to create the cohesive version of the history we were taught separately in school. When justice isn't served, the atrocities reappear elsewhere.
As my research continues I will include other countries including Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Cuba. If you are interested in contributing to this project, please contact me. I must stress the importance of citing sources if you would like to contribute. There is still a bitter dispute about the history in each respective country. Lies were told by the government and by the people to further each's respective agenda. We should endeavor to promote the truth as much as possible. Citing sources is the only way to verify validity. If you dispute any facts listed on this site, please feel free to contact me with a list of your disputing sources.
The dictatorship in Argentina was 11 years shorter than that of Chile, however, it was just as horrific. There were many variables used in the oppression of the masses and in the state led terrorism so using mortality statistics alone would be remiss. It is difficult and unfair to attempt to quantify the suffering and the pain caused by the military dictatorships for the purpose of comparison. Both countries remain scarred by the events that took place over 30 years ago. Instead, in this website I will give the facts as I have found them through my research.
The intention of this website is to educate others about the human rights violations that occurred in South America during the revolutions and counter revolutions that swept through the continent during the 20th century. It was difficult to choose a starting point in history to explain how so many Latin American countries fell into dictatorships. Some believe the cause can be traced all the way back to the class hierarchy established by colonialism. The scope of my research does not extend that far. I have chosen instead to begin with the presidency preceding the dictatorship in each respective country. No one can dispute that the global political climate caused by the cold war certainly set the stage for each country to fall into the hands of dictators. A wave of Marxist thought swept across the globe while the elite right clung to their privileges. This conflict in ideology turned family and neighbors against each other. Communism and capitalism in that era was a dichotomy. One or the other. "With us or against us." To that respect the United States was a key player in the demise of democratically elected leaders in each respective country.
Within this website I will list a brief overview of the important events, key locations, and important people in relation the dictatorships. I have also included a section entitled “lasting impact” which will discuss the lingering political issues caused by the military juntas. For now my research focuses solely on Argentina, Chile, and Spain. You may wonder why I am including Spain since it is outside of thematic geographic focus. Well, it is my belief that the Spanish Civil war influenced both the revolutions and the counter revolutions in South America. Understanding the atrocities committed during the Spanish civil war and the subsequent dictatorship will shed light on the South American experience. The big names in both countries reappear in the history of others. Indeed, Europe and America's struggle with capitalism/communism and justice for human rights violations greatly influenced the atrocities committed in South America. L'ecole Frances, a torture detainment center in Argentina is believed to have been run by former French soldiers who had tortured victims in Algiers. Former Nazi generals who sought refuge in South America quickly found a place in the new military regimes. These histories of human rights violations and war intertwine to create the cohesive version of the history we were taught separately in school. When justice isn't served, the atrocities reappear elsewhere.
As my research continues I will include other countries including Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Cuba. If you are interested in contributing to this project, please contact me. I must stress the importance of citing sources if you would like to contribute. There is still a bitter dispute about the history in each respective country. Lies were told by the government and by the people to further each's respective agenda. We should endeavor to promote the truth as much as possible. Citing sources is the only way to verify validity. If you dispute any facts listed on this site, please feel free to contact me with a list of your disputing sources.
The dictatorship in Argentina was 11 years shorter than that of Chile, however, it was just as horrific. There were many variables used in the oppression of the masses and in the state led terrorism so using mortality statistics alone would be remiss. It is difficult and unfair to attempt to quantify the suffering and the pain caused by the military dictatorships for the purpose of comparison. Both countries remain scarred by the events that took place over 30 years ago. Instead, in this website I will give the facts as I have found them through my research.