Why do many in South American societies look down to the USA, but Central Americans and Mexicans love USA? (movies, to live)
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Nope never. All operations have been and are undertaken by Colombian armed forces. The US, UK, NATO etc. have an intelligence, training and funding role only.
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There were american troops on Colombian territory though. Much of Plan Colombia was an American porject.
There were american troops on Colombian territory though. Much of Plan Colombia was an American porject.
It was Pastrana's government that presented the plan to Bill Clinton and other countries (EU, Japan), not the other way around...it took further urgency when peace talks with the FARC & ELN had broken down and they took over the cease fire zone the size of Switzerland.
..And of course in order to train them US/British & Israeli (mainly) commanders, colonels and marines had to be at Colombian bases, how else would they do it?
Nope never. All operations have been and are undertaken by Colombian armed forces. The US, UK, NATO etc. have an intelligence, training and funding role only.
Venezuela and Brazil are more consumerist and socially superficial societies, they look to the US far more. This is probably why Marxist Revisionism took such a hold on these societies as a rebuke to the ever increasing social disparity. Old habits die hard however, blackberry was absolutely huge in Venezuela, many choosing to get this phone over food in uts hey day. Baseball, US music & brands have far more acceptance in Venezuela, Brazil and even Chile in the 2 latter than in Colombia.
Traditional expressions that are revered and valued in Colombia are all but died out in Venezuela and given lesser importances in Brazil. Colombia is very much an inwardly progressive country as opposed to Brazil which is more insular yet perpetrates loose eurocentric values more like the States. Indigenous groups and Afro groups have more legal land rights in Colombia than in Brazil and more importantly there's more public support for this despite the difficulty in implementation due to a combination of the drug trade, difficult topography and insurgent groups.
In the environment Colombia also performs better, there is more of a social consciencenous in recycling, reducing the carbon footprint when moving around, protecting the natural environment. These are all progressive traits mostly shared with European administrations than the current US one. This is not to say Colombians don't like its shopping malls or spending on personal grooming to look nice BUT there's a stronger traditionally focused counter-weight with more emphasis placed on roots of origin. And even in the malls and high street, it's Colombian brands or independents that dominate. The opposite is true in countries like Chile and Panama.
Colombia is also a more agrarian society. The 'campesino' and small farm holdings are very much a part of Colombian identity in contrast to large corporate agro-industry found in Brazil. In the case of Venezuela agriculture is practically non-existent neither the cultural expressions this lifestyle produces.
Urban planning is also far more compact as opposed to motorised like the sprawl of Brazilian or Venezuelan cities. Colombia actually has some of the densest cities in the world which are better for pedestrians not to mention Colombia has the highest bicyle ridership of any country in the Western hemisphere and large networks of cycle routes to accomodate that similar to European cities.
I went to Venezuela in 1998 and I just did not like it, Felt plastic to me I feel almost as if I was in one imitation of Miami. This was before Chavez took control the country.
I liked Brazil, but I found The Colombia people to be a much more sophisticated Society, more worldly and aware.
Braziliens on averge are not a very sophisticated people, Beach, Carnivale, football, very reduced to that Simple mindset.
I noticed about Venezuela is that they don't have a strong identity, their identity was based on imitating the United States and trying to distance themselves from colombia as they are both very similar.
Out of the three countries I foud Colombia to have the strongest Identity and the most educated population on average. If Colombia could solve its inequality it will be a very outstanding country.
I would live in Colombia for a few years
I would not live in, but I would visit Brazil several times
I have no interest of ever going back to Venezuela.
Last edited by backpaker; 10-25-2019 at 01:14 AM..
Braziliens on averge are not a very sophisticated people, Beach, Carnivale, football, very reduced to that Simple mindset.
I don't know which places you visited in Brazil, but I have to tell that Brazil is a very diverse country. While what you said is somewhat true to an extent, it doesn't apply to all the country. Here in São Paulo I don't really note this mindset and people from some cities like Curitiba and Porto Alegre are known for being the opposite of what you said. Indeed, I have to admit that these places are exception.
Brazil is a large country and suffers from a similar collective ignorance the States suffers from. This is not to say there aren't many many smart and worldly people its just that the national territory is so massive they can almost afford to be insular and self sufficient. No one else is needed.
Brazil hardly knows anything about its neighbours, maybe bits of Argentina and Paraguay but that's about it. They probably know less than most US-Americans about the rest of South America. They also have the same tendency to laud their Italian, German, Polish, Ukranian, etc. heritage as in the US and proudly detaching themselves from the rest of Brazil (especially the north) where people look darker and their culture considered more "primitive". Confusingly whilst still considering themselves proudly Brazilian.
Colombia is different in that it has an insatiable appetite for all things Latin American from literature to music to gastronomy to folklore to moving pictures. In general it's very open to its neighbours cultural expressions be them tribal or of high society and appropriates a lot of it to the point where it eventually becomes something that belongs to Colombian culture too. Eurocentricity is also something perpetuated in Colombia as in the rest of the Americas (and the world for that matter) but regional identity is even more valued. Cultural expressions from all the regions are highly respected and more importantly consumed, no matter if they are of African, Indigenous or European origin.
Venezuela on the other hand is a society where "they don't see colour". Origin is not of much importance and consumerism and having material things supersedes any socio-cultural expression. Of course the power positions are still very much in the hands of recent European migrants but still "they don't see colour". It's pretty much a sweep under the rug mentality whereas Colombia has begun to confront these issues head on for a while even in the face of violent right wing or left wing threats and oppression.
"Dating Black in Colombia" and the wider societal implications.
A message from the "heart of the world" and an ancient civilisation's struggle to save the planet.
This is my biggest impression when travelling around Latin America.
I noted that in Central America and Mexico, the United States is a very important component to the society, but as soon as you enter south America you realise The image of the United States or Gringo is rather negative Especially when compared to the image WesternEuropeans have in the region.
In South America especially Amongst the rich, Americans are seen as gringos, meaning They are very loud and Have no culture, Go to south America assuming they will find Mexico, Or Mexican people, And have a hard time understanding the local culture.
Western European on the other hand are seen as educated open-minded and cultured.
I have also noticed that the south Americans Dislike when they are associated with Mexico.
Being European this is interesting for me because I am not familiar with the reasons why.
The same view that europeans have about the US americans.
In the case of Brazil we are very insular country but we have much more contact with europeans than US citzens, because the relative recent big european immigration here, and still nowadays we have more europeans than US americans living here (europeans live here among the population US americans only business man or the few tourists) so in many ways brazilians still replicate the view of europeans about the world and US americans.
Brazilians don’t want know much about what happen in the rest of the world (very occupied trying to know what happen in Brasilia and the rest of the country)… So the insights that brazilians get about abroad were given by europeans living here or close ancestry (grand-parents). I think it is something that starts change because many brazilians are traveling and studing in USA and much more US americans coming here.
Mexico and central americans are at the doors of US, they receive tons of US americans as tourists and most of them go at least once in their lifetime to US, immigrating or like tourist. So they have their own view about US people.
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