Colonialism and Latin America Essay Example for Free

Colonialism and Latin America Essay Eduardo Galeano is a passionate journalist and writer, a man that has put this passion into writing about the lost or often overlooked histories of Latin and South Americas. In one of his acclaimed books, Las venas abiertas de America Latina/Open Veins of Latin America, he looks at the history of exploitation in this place from early European explorers to current United States and European endeavors. In this paper using three examples from Open Veins of Latin America by Eduardo Galeano, will show how Latin America has developed a dependency on foreign entities. Latin America was mostly untouched by the European world until 1492, when the Spanish where looking for a cheaper way to obtain the goods from the Exotic East. Galeano even goes on to speculate that even earlier explorers could have visited thus creating the religions and gods that the native tribes worshipped (pg. 17). These Spanish explorers came looking for new goods and spices, and when they saw that these natives had bits of metal upon them and inquired after them discovered that gold and silver were in abundance here. Thus began the Spanish Conquistadors reign begin in Latin America, though out numbered 10 to 1, the Spanish steadily moved out. The technology gaps between these two worlds was astounding, as Columbus earlier noted, â€Å"They knew nothing of swords, and when these were shown to them they grasped the sharp edges and cut themselves. † Along with gunpowder, full metal armor, and most importantly horses the Spanish were able to decimate and terrorize most opposing forces that they encountered. â€Å"The conquests shattered the foundations of these civilizations† (pg.43), afterwards almost every major native city and been sacked and looted along with the natives being indentured or killed. The mines that were established created the greatest displacement of the native people; it forced them into grueling labor and destroyed the agricultural communities. These early conquests helped lay the groundwork for the future exploitation of this region. Gold and silver were the main motivating forces for the Conquest, but many other goods have developed within this region. Foremost of these goods was sugar, in fact it was such suitable terrain that it proved to be a â€Å"white gold. † The early sugar plantations were pure profit for the Spanish lords, with legions of African and Native slaves and soil ideal for sugar cane. This new agriculture and overseers helped contribute to the already old agriculture downfall. Forests were felled and other crops were dismissed as unnecessary, sugar became the only crop that mattered. These plantations developed into what we know today in Latin America as the latifundio, which has been meticulously honed into a system that allows for the highest profits to the owners but hardly adequate conditions for its workers. â€Å"The latifundio as we know it has been sufficiently mechanized to multiply the labor surplus, and thus enjoys an ample reserve of cheap hands. It no longer depends on the importations of African slaves or on the encomienda of Indians; it merely needs to pay ridiculously low or in-kind wages, or to obtain labor for nothing in return for the laborer’s under of a minute piece of land. † (pg. 60) This system created was so effective at siphoning the natural resources of the region that its growth into areas can be documented by the destroyed land and displaced populace that it leaves behind. Galeano states, â€Å"And this has not been the role of sugar alone: the story has been the same with cacao, cotton, rubber, coffee and fruits† (pg. 61). With the creation of this system within Latin America, it became ripe for foreign business interests to produce their product in this place. With the abundance of common resources available for cheap and with huge potential for a business owner to create huge profits, Latin America was directly and indirectly was given host to many business ventures from Dutch, French, English and U. S. industry. Businesses that invested into these ventures loved the model, land was acquired with earnest and more plantations were created with their overseers working for the new companies. Now all these companies could obtain a bulk product for little to no cost to them, and should you happen to own the transportation for bringing the product to its destination only created more. Investors grew rich and enjoyed their success at making double profits, though workers were not so happy. Unrest has become a staple of the Latin America countries, and unfortunately it is usually painted by our governments as the opposite of what is occurring. To begin most Latin American countries are under a Dictatorship, where the military has absolute power and the only thing with more influence is the businesses that want to keep their labor cheap. Foreign entities train these dictators then give them the money and goods they require to help maintain the goals that the businesses request of them. Most unrest that is documented is the people of these regions rising up against these Dictators to install someone for the people, but it usually doesn’t last long as foreign interest is already setting up the next player for their scheme. Latin America once boasted an ancient civilization with brilliant people; astronomers, builders, leaders, but now is governed by what product is most in demand. These people have had foreign parties that have been molding the way they live and function for over 500 years. Even know as we campaign to help them we can’t begin to grasp that these people need more than foreign interests to stop exploiting them, they need it to change their whole way of life. It’s a double edged sword, for there shall always be a party that enters the system that is only focused on its own needs rather than the needs of the people. The world has so deeply ingrained itself in the history and creation of the crutch that Latin America lives off of and if we should take that crutch away, they still won’t be able to walk, but if we show them how to do it on their own and let them govern themselves and teach them. Maybe they’ll be able to walk for themselves someday. Work Cited Galeano, E. H. (1997). Open veins of Latin America: five centuries of the pillage of a continent (25th anniversary ed. ). New York: Monthly Review Press.