¡Feliz Día de la Independencia en los EEUU!
If you are from Europe, it’s probably quite shocking to you how young the countries of the New World are. Even in the US, we often forget the history of our neighbors. Here’s a quick refresher on the independence and modern history of Chile, Peru, and Argentina.
CHILE
Chile gained independence from Spain in 1818. The country was ruled by the wealthy upper class until 1973, when a coup led by Augusto Pinochet overthrew that government. Pinochet’s dictatorship lasted until 1990. During this time, many important economic reforms were enacted, but the people were also brutally repressed and many were killed. Today, Chile is a thriving democracy. It’s strange to remember that the current government is still very young–only 22 years old! You can read more about Chile’s recent history here.
PERU
Peru declared independence from Spain in 1821, though Spain did not officially recognize this until 1879. After independence, Peru engaged in many territorial conflicts with neighboring countries, as the young South American countries tried to come to terms with the arbitrary borders they had been assigned in colonial times. The most notable was the War of the Pacific. Peru’s central government went back and forth between democracy and totalitarianism for many years. In the 1980s, the government returned many freedoms to the people, but the activities of the radical socialist group Shining Path began destabilizing the country. You can read more about them here.
ARGENTINA
Argentina declared independence in 1816 and defeated Spain 8 years later in 1824. A period of civil war followed, as the Argentines tried to decide if they should be ruled by a strong central government or become a union of autonomous provinces similar to the US. The government was conservative until the early 20th century, when the radical party took control and initiated many important reforms. The 1930s brought the Great Depression and opened the door for the first of a decades-long series of coups that ousted the elected governments and took away many freedoms. The 70s and 80s brought the Dirty War, during which thousands of people disappeared–killed or kidnapped by the government. In 1983, Argentina finally got back on the path to democracy, holding fair elections and giving freedoms back to the people.