6.3 Revolutionary Movements in Latin America

Revolutionary movements swept Latin America during the Cold War era. From Nicaragua to Peru, guerrilla groups fought against oppressive regimes and U.S. influence, aiming to establish socialist states through armed struggle and popular mobilization.

These movements employed various strategies, including guerrilla warfare, foco theory, and liberation theology. Their impact on Latin American politics and society was profound, shaping the region's history and leaving a lasting legacy of social activism and political change.

Guerrilla Movements

Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) in Nicaragua

• Marxist-Leninist revolutionary group founded in 1961 to oppose the Somoza family dictatorship
• Named after Augusto César Sandino, a Nicaraguan revolutionary leader who fought against U.S. occupation in the 1930s
• Engaged in guerrilla warfare against the Somoza regime throughout the 1960s and 1970s
• Gained widespread support from the Nicaraguan population due to the Somoza regime's corruption and human rights abuses
• Overthrew the Somoza dictatorship in 1979 and established a revolutionary government led by Daniel Ortega

Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) in El Salvador

• Marxist-Leninist guerrilla coalition formed in 1980 during the Salvadoran Civil War
• Named after Farabundo Martí, a Salvadoran communist leader who led an uprising against the government in 1932
• Consisted of five leftist guerrilla groups that united to fight against the U.S.-backed Salvadoran government
• Engaged in guerrilla warfare, sabotage, and political organizing to challenge the government's authority
• Signed a peace agreement with the government in 1992, ending the 12-year civil war and transitioning the FMLN into a political party

Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso) in Peru

• Maoist guerrilla organization founded in 1970 by Abimael Guzmán, a former philosophy professor
• Sought to overthrow the Peruvian government and establish a communist state through a peasant-led revolution
• Engaged in a violent campaign of guerrilla warfare, terrorism, and assassinations throughout the 1980s and early 1990s
• Targeted government officials, security forces, and civilians, causing widespread fear and instability
• Largely defeated by the Peruvian government in the mid-1990s, but remnants of the group continue to operate in remote areas

Tupamaros (MLN-T) in Uruguay

• Left-wing urban guerrilla group active in Uruguay during the 1960s and early 1970s
• Named after Túpac Amaru II, an 18th-century Peruvian indigenous leader who led a rebellion against Spanish colonial rule
• Engaged in armed robberies, kidnappings, and political assassinations to challenge the Uruguayan government
• Sought to create a socialist revolution and redistribute wealth in Uruguay
• Largely suppressed by the Uruguayan military in the early 1970s, with many members imprisoned or exiled

Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)

• Marxist-Leninist guerrilla organization founded in 1964 as the armed wing of the Colombian Communist Party
• Engaged in a long-running conflict with the Colombian government, lasting over five decades
• Controlled significant territory in rural areas of Colombia, using drug trafficking and kidnapping to fund its operations
• Sought to overthrow the Colombian government and establish a socialist state
• Signed a peace agreement with the Colombian government in 2016, ending the conflict and transitioning into a political party

Revolutionary Strategies

Guerrilla Warfare

• Military strategy employed by small, mobile groups of irregular fighters against larger, conventional military forces
• Relies on tactics such as ambushes, sabotage, hit-and-run attacks, and the use of terrain for cover and concealment
• Aims to gradually weaken the enemy through attrition, psychological warfare, and the disruption of supply lines
• Often used by revolutionary movements in Latin America due to the asymmetry of power between guerrilla groups and government forces
• Examples include the tactics used by the FARC in Colombia and the FMLN in El Salvador

Foco Theory

• Revolutionary strategy developed by Ernesto "Che" Guevara based on his experiences in the Cuban Revolution
• Proposes that a small group of dedicated revolutionaries (the foco) can spark a widespread revolution through their example and actions
• Emphasizes the importance of rural guerrilla warfare, with the foco serving as a catalyst for the mobilization of the peasantry
• Argues that the right conditions for revolution can be created through the actions of the foco, rather than waiting for them to develop on their own
• Influenced many revolutionary movements in Latin America, such as the Sandinistas in Nicaragua and the ELN in Colombia

Liberation Theology

• Theological movement that emerged in Latin America in the 1950s and 1960s, combining Christian teachings with elements of Marxist social analysis
• Emphasizes the need for the Church to actively work for social justice and the liberation of the poor and oppressed
• Interprets the teachings of Jesus Christ as a call to challenge oppressive structures and fight for the rights of the marginalized
• Played a significant role in shaping the ideology and actions of some revolutionary movements, such as the FMLN in El Salvador
• Key figures include Gustavo Gutiérrez (Peru), Leonardo Boff (Brazil), and Óscar Romero (El Salvador), who was assassinated for his advocacy of social justice and criticism of the Salvadoran government