Lesson 21: US Intervention in Central America
April 12, 2018
Review:
- Mexico and the Caribbean
- Exam 4 in 1 week
Presentation
- US Intervention in Central America
- Harvest of Empire segments
- Cold War collateral damage
- Guatemala (11:40-18:30)
- Post-WWII had progressive government enacting land reform
- CIA infiltration and overthrow of government
- Brutal repression of political opponents and indigenous population
- Over 200k killed and 50k missing during decades of turmoil
- Majority of victims were indigenous Mayan
- Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchu
- Documented evidence that death squads were supported and trained by CIA
- I visited Guatemala in 1991.
- Nicaragua (54:40-1:02:15)
- Occupied by US Marine Corp
- Somoza family rule 1936-1979
- Sandinista Revolution
- Reagan administration supports Contras, Iran-Contra Scandal
- Sandinista-Contra conflict killed 50,000+
- I visited Nicaragua for a week in 2016
- Stayed in Grenada
- Saw the inside of a volcano
- Day trip to León, capital of the Sandinista revolution
- Museo Historico de la Revolucion
- Original campus of Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua, UNAN
- Cathedral of the Assumption Mary, just outside
- El Salvador (1:07:30-1:18:45)
- Salvadoran Military
- Assassinated Bishop Óscar Romero (recently canonized)
- Raped and murdered 4 American nuns
- Slaughtered entire villages
- Many leaders trained by the US Military, in the US (School of the Americas)
- Backed and financed by the US govt
- MS-13
- Salvadoran Military
Assignment:
- Go for a walk, eat a healthy meal and get a good night’s sleep
- Due before class next week
