Top Ten Stories in Latin American History from 2000-2010

On April 11, 2002, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez had a close call. Thousands had taken to the streets to protest his firing of the management of the state-run oil company. The protest turned into a riot, and the mob marched on the Presidential palace. Chavez briefly resigned and the USA quickly recognized the new government. On April 13 however, Chavez returned as there were huge protests in his favor. Chavez, of course, went on to continue his antagonism of the USA and become the center of the new leftist movement, while his opponents still rue April 2002 as a missed opportunity: the best shot they ever had to get rid of their rival. How different would the region be today had he been removed from power?

After nearly fifty years as dictator of Cuba, Fidel Castro handed over command to his younger brother Raul in February of 2008. Then 81, Fidel was frail and ailing. Although Raul did not make any drastic new policies, the move proved to the people of Cuba that a changing of the guard is imminent. The veterans of the Cuban Revolution (1956-1959) that ruled the country for so long will not be around forever. What does the future hold for Cuba?

The time period of 2000-2010 shows a marked move to the left all across Latin America. Egged on by Hugo Chavez and the venerable Fidel Castro, leftist leaders have come into power in Bolivia, Ecuador, Brazil, Paraguay and other nations. These new leftists are exploring ways to escape the regional influence of the United States by creating trade pacts among themselves and even perhaps adopting a new currency to compete with the dollar. The future may hold a return to the center: without George W. Bush in the White House, Latin American leftists are without a convenient enemy to rant and rave against. Lukewarm support for ousted Honduran leftist Manuel Zelaya may indicate the tide is turning once again.

After years of economic mismanagement, Argentina’s economy decisively tanked in late 2001. The people took to the streets, banging pots and pans and demanding the resignation of officials: the country went through a handful of presidents in just a few months. Inflation and unemployment soared and the value of the Argentine peso bottomed out. In 2002, President Eduardo Duhalde managed to precariously stabilize the economy. Although things have improved, the nation is still feeling the effects of the crash.

Before the 2006 election of Felipe Calderón, the Mexican Government and the powerful, wealthy drug cartels had an understanding: you leave me alone, and I’ll leave you alone. Calderón changed all that, declaring war on the gangs and criminals who own Mexico’s northern border. The result has been success mixed with carnage. As the gangs fight to keep their profits up in the new Mexico, they have taken to fighting one another on the streets and thousands have died. Police, judges and journalists are also targets. Ciudad Juarez has become the deadliest city in the world. Calderón might have just left things alone like his predecessors did: now he has a fight he must win.

The dates are approximate, but from 1970 to 1990 several South American nations were at war…with themselves. As young idealists sought to replicate the Cuban Revolution in their home nations, military governments took over and brutally crushed them. Led by Chile’s General Augusto Pinochet, the governments of Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil and Bolivia joined together to suppress leftist movements, resulting in thousands of executions and disappearances. For years, these military men were immune from justice, but in the 2000’s, that changed. Generals and dictators were brought to trial and convicted. Meanwhile, the people of those nations have been picking up the pieces, looking for answers to questions they’ve had for too long.

In the 1990's, President Alberto Fujimori seemed like just what Peru needed: he was smart, tough and honest. He cracked down on the Shining Path terrorist group and stabilized the economy. Then came the fall from grace. His chief aide, Vladimiro Montesinos, admitted to a number of crimes from smuggling to embezzlement, and he claimed he did everything on Fujimori's orders. In April of 2001, Fujimori attended a conference in Brunei and did not return, faxing in his letter of resignation. Unexpectedly, he went to Chile in 2005, where he was arrested and sent to Peru, which charged him with numerous crimes. On April 7, 2009, he was found guilty of indirectly violating human rights: paramilitary squads he had authorized had killed civilians.

On March 1, 2008, President Alvaro Uribe ordered Colombian security forces into Ecuadorian territory to attack a base of the rebel terrorist army known as the FARC. The raid was a success, as several FARC soldiers and leaders were killed, including Raúl Reyes, second-in-command of the rebel army. Some laptop computers were seized, and data on them seems to indicate that the rebels were receiving aid from Venezuela. Because the attack took place on Ecuadorian soil, it caused an international incident, with Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez joining Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa in shouting indignation at the territorial violation. Although nothing came of the raid and information on the laptops, tensions in Northern South America raised noticeably.

The 2006 Presidential election pitted conservative Felipe Calderón versus liberal Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Everyone knew it would be a tight election, but no one knew just how tight it would be. After all of the legal wrangling and bickering, it was determined that Calderón won by fewer than 250,000 votes. There were many irregularities in the election and the vote-counting, and many people believe that Calderón won by fraud. The biggest believer is López Obrador himself, who has claimed the title of “Real President” and even meets with his appointed cabinet regularly. He has the support of thousands if not millions of Mexicans, and the 2006 election is still a sore subject with many.

On June 28, 2009, Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was rudely awakened by soldiers, put on an airplane, and unceremoniously dumped in Costa Rica. It was done on orders from Congress and the Supreme Court, who alleged that Zelaya's attempts to change the constitution in order to run for re-election were illegal. What followed was a long, bitter battle as Zelaya tried to resume the presidency while the interim government that booted him tried to keep him out. He stealthily re-entered Honduras and holed up at the Brazilian Embassy to continue the fight. The story had the non-stop drama of a telenovela and all of Latin America was watching.