Human Rights & Economics in Latin America I

In the late 1980s, U.S. General John R. Galvin, former commander-in-chief of the American Southern Command, commented that there was no strong basis for democracy in Latin America (Manwaring & Prisk, 1988). It was General GalvinÆs opinion that while every country is different and South America is not a homogenous unit or organization, the revolutions of Latin America in the struggle for independence were revolutions of a Spanish elite to free themselves from Spain in order that they could do whatever they wanted to do in running their governments. The neglect of indigenous people or for the vast majority of the poor and the campesinos that emerged during the struggles for independence has continued to the present day. As General Galvin put it, ôthe Spanish Conquistador outlook is still reflected in the elitism that continues to characterize much of Latin America - which, in combination with weak governmental infrastructures and slow to develop economic systems, created a potential for economic injustice and human rights violations (in Manwaring & Prisk, 1988).

Historically, John D. Martz (1971) suggests, the evolution of culture throughout South America produced by the mid-1970s, a system in which government and the military apparatus played an increasingly prominent and powerful role. This role was generally authoritarian and created a dichotomous social system in which extreme stratification became chara

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97) contend that efforts to support democratic institutions and economic development have begun to tie trade to human rights. The United States, for example, has begun to use trade as a foreign policy tool and to emphasize trade relations with nations possessing a higher human rights ranking. The globalizing impulse is very much at the heart of efforts to improve the human rights situation throughout Latin America, but Wiarda (1997) claims that it was not until the United States took the lead role in linking democratic economic institutions and human rights that major changes began to emerge throughout South America. Wiarda (1997) identifies three basic elements in the new Washington Consensus which are affecting economic development and human rights protection in South America. These elements are: 1. An emphasis on furthering democracy and human rights. 2. An emphasis on free or at least fair trade and economic integration. 3. An emphasis on open markets, state downsizing, and privatization. Wiarda (1997) further notes that these three aspects are interrelated in the assumption that democracy and human rights as opposed to either authoritarianism or Marxist-Leninism help provide a stable, long-term climate
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Approximate Word count = 4640
Approximate Pages = 19 (250 words per page)

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