Even since most of Latin America gained independence from Spain in the period from 1810-1825, the region has suffered from numerous disastrous civil wars and revolutions. They range from the all-out assault on authority of the Cuban Revolution to the bickering of Colombia's Thousand Day War, but they all reflect the passion and idealism of the people of Latin America.
1. Huascar and Atahualpa: an Inca Civil War
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Latin America's civil wars and revolutions did not begin with independence from Spain, or even with the Spanish conquest. The native Americans who lived in the New World often had their own civil wars long before the Spanish and Portuguese arrived. The mighty Inca Empire fought a disastrous civil war from 1527 to 1532, as brothers Huascar and Atahualpa fought for the throne vacated by the death of their father. Not only did hundreds of thousands die in the fighting and rapine of war, but the weakened Empire could not defend itself when ruthless Spanish conquistadors under Francisco Pizarro arrived in 1532.
2. Colombia: The Thousand Days' War
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Of all of the South American republics that emerged after the fall of the Spanish Empire, it is perhaps Colombia that has suffered the most from internal strife. Conservatives (who favored a strong central government, limited voting rights and an important role for the church in government) and Liberals (who favored separation of church and state, strong regional government and liberal voting rules) fought it out with one another off and on for more than one hundred years. The Thousand Days' War reflects one of the bloodiest periods of this conflict: it lasted from 1899 to 1902 and cost more than 100,000 Colombian lives.
3. The Mexican Revolution
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After decades of the tyrannical rule of Porfirio Diaz, in which Mexico prospered but the benefits were felt only by the rich, the people took up arms and fought for a better life. Led by legendary bandit/warlords like Emiliano Zapata and Pancho Villa, these angry masses were turned into great armies which roamed central and northern Mexico, battling federal forces and one another. The revolution lasted from 1910 to 1920 and when the dust settled, millions were dead or displaced.
4. The Cuban Revolution
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In the 1950's, Cuba had much in common with Mexico during the reign of Porfirio Diaz. The economy was booming, but the benefits were only felt by a few. Dictator Fulgencio Batista and his cronies ruled the island like their own private kingdom, accepting payments from the fancy hotels and casinos that drew wealthy Americans and celebrities. Ambitious young lawyer Fidel Castro decided to make some changes. With his brother Raul and companions Che Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos, he fought a guerrilla war against Batista from 1956 to 1959: his victory changed the balance of power around the world.
