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Alfonsus72
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I guess a very representative caracter of South America history (in the bad side) was Francisco Solano López, president of Paraguay, that let his country enter in a war that killed 75% of its population.
He represents the dreams of greatness cruelly beaten back by reality, a constant in South America countries from their independence (and even before) and posibly and heritage of spanish character.
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Dr. Nick
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Mola mazo!
Oct 2000 time: 01:15
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Francisco Solano Lopez was a good leader... you can compare him to, say, Hitler.
Paraguay was the most emergent economy in Latin America around 1860. It was industrialising through the purchase of capital goods and becoming an important centre of manufacture for the local market at least. Paraguay was prospering.
The Guerra del Paraguay was caused due to the rivalry in Uruguay. The Blancos and Colorados were constantly squabbling. The point is that Brazil favored one side, Paraguay the other. When the side that Paraguay favored gained power, the Brazilians invaded to restore their supporters, whilst the party supported by Brazil trained its army in Corrientes, Argentina. Paraguay then declared war on Brazil and Uruguay and asked for permission to move through Corrientes, as Argentina immediately declared itself neutral. Unable to assist Uruguay, Solano Lopez had one of two things to do:
1) Declare war on Argentina and march through Corrientes to attack Uruguay.
2) Sit on his thumb.
He was pressured to opt for declaring war because it was evident that Brazil and Argentina were allied and that Argentina would intercede in the future and attack, if Paraguay dealt the first blow perhaps they'd manage to keep Argentina at bay. But Paraguay saw itself against a manpower that overwhelmed her as well as being cut off the main trade routes with Europe. Unable to purchase guns, materiel, and unable to manufacture it as well, they were fighting a loosing war from the beginning. When the second front was opened the end would come. But the Paraguayans, despite all these problems, managed to keep it going for 5 years, from 1865 till 1870 and it wasn't till Solano Lopez was brutally murdered by Brazilian troops in Cerro Corá that the war ended.
Solano Lopez acted out of his own nobility and to save face of him and his nation. When Brazil and Argentina threw mud in his face, he couldn't just wipe it off, smile, and pretend that nothing had happened. However, this war saw the glorious resistance of the pueblo Paraguayo, as almost 95% of all able bodied men were killed in the war. We were told that after the war, there were so few men in contrast with women that polygamy was allowed.
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Alfonsus72
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quote: Originally posted by El Awrence
Paraguay was the most emergent economy in Latin America around 1860. It was industrialising through the purchase of capital goods and becoming an important centre of manufacture for the local market at least. Paraguay was prospering.
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I thought that Paraguay was, lets say, "prospering", cause Solano Lopez, in the way to his imperial dream, builded iron works and magazines to serve to his army. He changed butter for cannons, and in fact he was leading the country to a war economy and to a total mobilization of national resource, which only end could be a terrible war against his neighbours.
Instead of secure the navigation among the Plata River and produce trade goods, servign as moderator beetween Brasil and Argentina (whose relationship was bad), Solano made Paraguay and enemy of both of them. The Uruguay (which later will also declare war to Paraguay) affair was only an excuse to test the was machine he created.
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whosurdaddy
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New York
Jun 2001 time: 00:15
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oooops .... my damn spelling, quise escribir "Bernardo Higgins ... me encanta este nombre."
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Chilean President™
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Viña del Mar, CHILE
Feb 2001 time: 00:15
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The name is Bernardo O'Higgins, chilean General, born in Rancagua (south of Santiago), the father of the Republic. He is the son of the irish Virrey Ambrosio O'Higgins, and the biggest proud of the actual chilean - irish comunity in the country.
As I said before the countries in South America never could be united because the big diferences beteewn each others. Maybe small countries like Peru, Bolivia, Equator or Paraguay wanted to be a mega nation, but biggest countries like Brazil , Argentina, Chile and Uruguay (big in terms of economic, militar, political and cultural power) were proud of their own independence and sovereignty. In the early days of the Republic (in the case of Chile), the sentiment of nationality and "chilean spirit" grow fast. Also I have to add that the countries of the Cono Sur (Argentina, Chile and Uruguay) have a little xenophobic attitude against poorest countries like Peru, Venezuela or others.
The problem is that the US and Europe see Latin America as one big nation, but actually there are 2 diferent regions in this "continent". Latin America and the Cono Sur (Southern Cone) of the continent. One is poor and underdeveloped, the other have a developed economy, few social problems and a strong democratic politic heritage (besides the coups of the 70's)
On the case of Chile I must say that we don't consider our selves latin americans, we are CHILEANS, and we are damn proud of our nationality, culture and chilean history. I believe that other countries like Argentina feel the same, right El Awrence? 
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N35t0r
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( o Y o )
Jan 2000 time: 02:15
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Yeah...
Thae main reason between the US and Latin America was that the US' 13 colonies were on a territory smaller than Argentina when it had independicized, and only later expanded W of the Appalacheans; while all of the land of Sa was settled, and the fact that both liberators (San Martin and Simon Bolivar) wanted to 'liberate' the different 'provinces' from the Spanish. Chile, Argentina, Peru, bolivia, etc. were different subdivisions, and also many countries (Paraguay, Uruguay from Argentina) separated from others during civil wars...
As for O'Higgins, he commanded a column of San Martin's army when he crossed the Andes, and was then appointed Director of Chile, where he bankrrupted the government to help San Martin.
As for the ships that enabled san Martin to reach Perú, they were British.
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Jay Bee
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Valladolid, CA
Jan 1970 time: 06:15
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Good to see ya back, hodadcito!
Re the 'Latin American' tag, I always wondered why the Americans don't call themselves 'Anglosaxonized Americans' or simply 'Anglo Americans'.
More to the point, I always wondered why people like Robert de Niro, Al Pacino, Madonna, Coppola, NY's major, Joe di Maggio, etc etc etc etc aren't considered Latin Americans.
There's more, I always wondered why the Quebequese aren't considered Latin Americans as well if they speak French.
Conclusion: the 'Latin American' denomination is an absurdity that we hispanics have stupidly adopted for no reason.
And that's all what I have to say 
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Chilean President™
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Viña del Mar, CHILE
Feb 2001 time: 00:15
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quote: As for O'Higgins, he commanded a column of San Martin's army when he crossed the Andes, and was then appointed Director of Chile |
O'HIGGINS HAS NEVER BEEN A MEMBER OF THE ANDES ARMY!!! HE WAS FIGHTING AT THAT MOMENT IN THE CITY OF RANCAGUA AND ARRIVE TO A REGION CALLED MAIPU THE SAME DAY THAT SAN MARTIN.
And the fleet that liberates Peru, was the Chilean Naval Fleet who carry O'Higgins but it was under the command of the admiral of the chilean navy Lord Thomas Cochrane and the second of the navy admiral Francisco Crosby.
The Fleet was the unity of the Chilean Second Fleet (of the North), the Third Fleet (of the South) and The Fleet Command (of Valparaíso). The ships were:
Frigate O'Higgins the head of the fleet.
Galvarino and Lautaro (first line of transports)
Mackenna, Potrillo, Golondrina, Chilena, Jerezama, Perla, Aguila, Emprendedora, Consecuencia, Gaditana and Dolores (line of brigs)
Moctezuma, Araucano and Pueyrredón (Second Line of transports)
Condor del Mar, José Miguel Carrera, Estrella, Valparaíso and Colo-Colo (Second line of frigate)
Minerva, Libertad, Hércules, San Martin and Independencia (3rd line of frigate, ships of Argentina).
The fleet mine from Valparaíso on agust 20th 1820, to arrive later to the spanish port of Chilca in Peru.
"The glory and freedom of Peru, belong to Chile, and in second place to the british and argentinians that fought under chilean flag. The objective of this expedition was complete; the capture of the representative of spanish power, the Virrey, and the freedom of the nation" -James Monroe, President of The United States. June 20th 1824, when he recieve the credentials of the peruvian ambassador.
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