How have different views of the International System influenced the present of Latin America?

 

The different approaches to the International System, or the different perspectives of the international order, are such –Liberalism, Realism, Radicalism, and Constructivism- given the plurality of contexts each state finds itself in. If we view how the United States is playing its role in the International context we will see as prominent the importance they give to maintaining certain order, control, through first hand intervention in territories or other states where the situation is directly interfering with their interests. The current state of affairs will lead us to think of their presence in Iraq or Afghanistan; or even a more recent case involving NATO missiles in Ukraine which provoked the direct reply in discomfort from the Russian government.

How is this of importance to South America? In the bipolar world of the Cold War, the Communist and Socialist thought was spreading in South and Central America; the exemplary case would be the Cuban revolution. Having more Communist states was all but what the United States wanted in the American continent, thus leading to to the economical blocking of the previously referred island. Inspired in Cuba and the Marxist writings the revolution was fermenting in the South American countries. Many communist groups were acquiring power and spreading through Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil -to mention some. As a direct response to the state of affairs of the time, military dictatorships came to power in the aforementioned countries. Some a couple of years later than others, but most occurred around the same time. In Uruguay, for example, the dictatorship lasted since the parliamentary chambers were dissolved by President Bordaberry in 1973 until 1983 were the military regime ended for the country to reinstall Democracy in 1985. It has not been until a some years ago when the different governments disclosed the files and archives from the military times that the United States involvement was proved certain. The most famous case is the “Plan Condor” which had the military governments from Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay, allied with the CIA acting in concert to cover each other’s backs and maintain the power. This would be an example of how the United States does not hesitate in intervening where it sees that what goes on affects its power-seeking interests.

I find that the actions undertaken by the United States can clearly be understood if viewed through the Realist perspective of the International System. In an Anarchic world the strongest remains in power as long as it keeps the power, in which case if threatened it has to secure. In the other hand, there were the revolutionary groups which intentions can be understood from the Radical perspective of the International System. For example, Cuba which insists on the righteousness of their political system since they are against the stratification the International System brings along with and hope to change it.

But what it is clear nowadays is that South America does not hold, as a general body, any of the two views previously mentioned, if not that it is, instead, going trough its most important process in the twentieth century; that of forging its own identity after centuries of control, domination, and external intervention.