US Intervention in Latin America: A History of Resistance
Summary of the Provided Text: US Intervention in Central America & the solidarity Movement
This text details the significant US intervention in Central America during the 1980s, framed as a fight against communism, and the powerful resistance movement that arose both within Central America and within the united States.Here’s a breakdown of the key points:
* Massive US Funding & Support for Authoritarian Regimes: The US government spent billions (around $9.5 billion in 1985 alone) supporting authoritarian dictatorships and groups like the Contras in Central America. This support fueled violence, human rights abuses, massacres, and disappearances. Historian Alex Aviña calls this period “one of the darkest…in Latin American history.”
* The Central American Solidarity Movement: This movement emerged in the US as a response to the intervention. It involved:
* Large-scale protests: Hundreds of thousands marched against US policy.
* Civil Disobedience: 80,000 pledged resistance,including blocking weapons shipments,hunger strikes,and acts of sabotage.
* Personal Risk: Individuals like vietnam veteran Brian wilson physically put themselves in harm’s way (losing both legs protesting weapons shipments) and faced arrest and violence.
* Local & Institutional Support: The movement permeated local politics, student unions, and even led to some city councils establishing relationships with Nicaraguan towns, creating an “alternative foreign policy route.”
* human Shields: Some Americans traveled to Nicaragua to act as human shields, hoping to deter Contra attacks on the population.
* Reagan’s Response & the Iran-contra Affair: Despite legislative attempts to limit aid to the Contras, Reagan circumvented the law through the illegal Iran-Contra deal, which ultimately led to a scandal and damaged his public image.
* Continued Resistance: Despite the challenges and violence, the solidarity movement persisted, with people continuing to voice opposition to US intervention and stand in solidarity with Central America.
In essence, the text highlights a period of intense US involvement in Central America, the devastating consequences of that involvement, and the courageous efforts of individuals and groups in both Central America and the US to resist it.