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100% true- and this in large part is why Latin America continues to be a very violent place. Anyone who denies this lacks a deeper education on colonialism and its effects.
I think that's somewhat far-fetched. Undoubtedly colonialism was detrimental to the native american and African identities but the vast majority of Latin Americans have grown up in a Spanish/Catholic social culture at least for the past 8 generations or so. Especially Mestizos, Pardos, Mulatos and in fact most African and Native American descendants also. Although this varies in differing levels from countries like Peru to countries like Dominican Republic.
I myself am Mestizo and although I'm proud of that heritage, the native american side of me has been almost completely stripped away. This will not make me a violent person.
Latin America is not much more violent today than Europe was at the turn of the last century, the main culprit, stark inequality and add to that the modern lures of illegal drug trade and you have a violent society.
Why does Latin America have such high levels of violence, only surpassed by countries in war zones? Difficult question that certainly has more than one answer.
Many people, mainly Latin Americans, will tend to blame all the problems the Southern part of the continent on the colonial past. Certainly Portuguese and Spaniards explorers precipitated the collapse of pre-existing civilizations in a brutal way. Many lives, cultures and traditions were lost, leaving a trauma in the natives still perceptible today.
However conquest, savagery and slavery were common ground at the time and were largely practiced by the native themselves. Also most of Latin America has been self-ruling for 200 years now. The colonizers, Portugal and Spain are peaceful countries with relatively low criminality, so blaming today's violence on a value brought by the foreign invaders dating 200 years back is probably an argument built of bad faith.
Latin America is a very disparate entity, while being a very rich continent is also one of most unequal place on earth. Filthy rich people share countries and cities with filthy poor people, without any concern. Poverty, while it doesn't necessarily create violence, certainly fuels it.
Also there is a rampant racism. Not a type of political racism form such as Nazism or the KKK, but it is implicit. As an example in Mexico and Central America it is not uncommon to hear the word "Indio" (Indian) used as a derogatory insult for someone deemed as backward, retarded. And it is not outsider who use that vocable, it is people from the country. In the US it would equivalent to "beaner" or "******" and would be totally unacceptable. In Latin America it is still shamelessly in use.
I believe that the core roots of the endemic violence in Latin America is sui generis. When Europeans colonizers came in contact with pre-columbian civilizations such as the Mayas and the Aztecs, they encountered cultural practices that even shocked their rough conquistadors' eyes. Human sacrifice, brutal manners was just normal everyday life. Life was cheap, death didn't matter as it wasn't feared unlike in European cultures.
That ancestral culture of violence passed down generation after generation and solidified due to colonization and the creation of an unequal multiracial society and is now an integral part of Latin American that will be very difficult to overcome.
Countries like Brazil, Argentina, etc., how did they become so dangerous? Why do criminals from other countries flee there (including the Nazis post war and others)?
Argentina isnt dangerous at all. where do you get that from?
I think that's somewhat far-fetched. Undoubtedly colonialism was detrimental to the native american and African identities but the vast majority of Latin Americans have grown up in a Spanish/Catholic social culture at least for the past 8 generations or so. Especially Mestizos, Pardos, Mulatos and in fact most African and Native American descendants also. Although this varies in differing levels from countries like Peru to countries like Dominican Republic.
I myself am Mestizo and although I'm proud of that heritage, the native american side of me has been almost completely stripped away. This will not make me a violent person.
Latin America is not much more violent today than Europe was at the turn of the last century, the main culprit, stark inequality and add to that the modern lures of illegal drug trade and you have a violent society.
I have years of research on colonialism and its effects, including field research in indigenous communities and research on militarism tied to violence and nationalism in various countries of Latin America. This was both undergraduate and graduate research. These are not preconceived ideas that I have about the region- it is all tied to economic and social development.
The roots are both local and from colonialism- the colonialism was brutal, I don't know why people want to negate that. People were beaten, raped and tortured to ''change" them, and this continued until very recently in some countries. A few decades ago, there was a still a genocide to try to exterminate the Mayan people in Guatemala.
Yes there have been some changes, and yes, there are some countries and even regions where it was felt stronger, but it is the foundation of the region. Should people dwell on it? No. I have no problems with Spain or Spaniards- I actually lived in Spain and love the country and culture.
However, I also have a deep understanding on the LASTING effects of colonialism not only in Latin America, but all over the world. Negating that is lying to one's self.
why does latin america have such high levels of violence, only surpassed by countries in war zones? Difficult question that certainly has more than one answer. many people, mainly latin americans, will tend to blame all the problems the southern part of the continent on the colonial past. Certainly portuguese and spaniards explorers precipitated the collapse of pre-existing civilizations in a brutal way. Many lives, cultures and traditions were lost, leaving a trauma in the natives still perceptible today.
it is not a blame- the problem is that spaniards and portuguese came to exploit and take- there were no intentions of arriving to create an new society with new ideals that benefited the local population. So, they created a massive system of nepotism, exploitation, corruption that continues to this day. The only thing that changed was that the power was transferred to people born in those countries, mostly descendants of spaniards, portuguese and other europeans. They continued the legacy. Latin american nations and other colonial nations were also incorporated into the 'new globalization' with few opportunities for trade, attached debt from colonial powers, and many other setbacks.
however conquest, savagery and slavery were common ground at the time and were largely practiced by the native themselves. Also most of latin america has been self-ruling for 200 years now. The colonizers, portugal and spain are peaceful countries with relatively low criminality, so blaming today's violence on a value brought by the foreign invaders dating 200 years back is probably an argument built of bad faith.
the native populations, like many populations in europe, had cultures that dominated over others. Slavery existed, but so did free education, advanced systems of agriculture, medicine, astrology, etc...sacrifices were made and were brutal, but i don't see how different that is from war and subjugation in europe and european colonies. They were done with an intention- to maintain power.
latin america is a very disparate entity, while being a very rich continent is also one of most unequal place on earth. Filthy rich people share countries and cities with filthy poor people, without any concern. Poverty, while it doesn't necessarily create violence, certainly fuels it.
also there is a rampant racism. Not a type of political racism form such as nazism or the kkk, but it is implicit. As an example in mexico and central america it is not uncommon to hear the word "indio" (indian) used as a derogatory insult for someone deemed as backward, retarded. And it is not outsider who use that vocable, it is people from the country. In the us it would equivalent to "beaner" or "******" and would be totally unacceptable. In latin america it is still shamelessly in use.
i believe that the core roots of the endemic violence in latin america is sui generis. When europeans colonizers came in contact with pre-columbian civilizations such as the mayas and the aztecs, they encountered cultural practices that even shocked their rough conquistadors' eyes. Human sacrifice, brutal manners was just normal everyday life. Life was cheap, death didn't matter as it wasn't feared unlike in european cultures.
lol that was not the view towards life in native american cultures- you really need to learn a little more about these civilizations. The spaniards were brutal too, so why would anyone take the point of view of one brutal culture towards another? That doesn't make sense.
that ancestral culture of violence passed down generation after generation and solidified due to colonization and the creation of an unequal multiracial society and is now an integral part of latin american that will be very difficult to overcome.
The combination of violence and systems of corruption, racism and nepotism are at the root of all of the problems. However, latin american countries with problems and all, are changing. There is a need to respect all populations regardless of race and it is urgent that education be given a top priority in urban and rural areas. If the younger generations don't see opportunites or a future, they will continue to involve themselves in criminal activity.
Racism isn't a fundamental reason for violence in South America. A lot of North Americans and some Europeans try to compare the racial experience in their countries to Latin America. There are many factors that don't make this at all accurate.
Racism isn't a fundamental cause of violence, poverty is. However, poverty in Latin America has a strong racial component, as it does in the USA.
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First of all wide-stretching segregation never existed legally after abolishment of slavery like it did in the USA or South Africa. Race riots took place in colonial times and not in the 60's and even the 80's like it did in the US and UK, Race based violence movements like the Ku Klux Klan and Nazis never occurred in Latin America.
Latin America had slavery longer than any other region in the western hemisphere. Far more slaves were brought to Latin America than anywhere else, and even though there wasn't de jure segregation, Latin America has a looooooong history of racial caste systems which effectively place Black and Indigenous people on the bottom.
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In fact speaking on behalf of the country I know best, Colombia, the first ever free territory in the Americas recognized by a European power was an African township in Colombia called Basilio where a Bantu based language is still spoken to this day. It was recognised as an independent territory in 1691 by the Spanish crown.
Unlike the USA, the process of mestizaje or "mixing" was actively encouraged (although this itself has its own non-violent racial issues).
Mestizaje was promoted as a means of Whitening the population. Which, obviously, is racist as hell.
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Latin America has more of an issue of institutionalized racism rather than racial violence. Racial factors are a side-note to the real causes of violence, which is first and foremost the demand for drugs in developed countries and the illegal activities that follow this compounded by the lack of opportunities.
I agree mostly with what you say apart from this fact where you're quite wrong. Abolition happened around the same time across the Americas.
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Originally Posted by lexdiamondz1902
Latin America had slavery longer than any other region in the western hemisphere. Far more slaves were brought to Latin America than anywhere else, and even though there wasn't de jure segregation, Latin America has a looooooong history of racial caste systems which effectively place Black and Indigenous people on the bottom.
Mestizaje was promoted as a means of Whitening the population. Which, obviously, is racist as hell.
Did I not say and I quote;
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Originally Posted by Pueblofuerte
(although this itself has its own non-violent racial issues).
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