7.4 Resistance and Opposition Movements

Military dictatorships in Latin America faced fierce opposition from various groups. Guerrilla movements, inspired by the Cuban Revolution, fought against oppressive regimes using armed tactics. Meanwhile, religious leaders, students, and labor unions organized protests and strikes to challenge authoritarian rule.

Human rights organizations played a crucial role in exposing abuses and seeking justice for victims. International pressure and changing global politics eventually led to the fall of many dictatorships, paving the way for democratic transitions across the region in the 1980s and 1990s.

Guerrilla and Militant Movements

Guerrilla Movements in Latin America

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• Guerrilla movements emerged in Latin America as a form of armed resistance against military dictatorships and state oppression
• Inspired by the success of the Cuban Revolution, many guerrilla groups sought to overthrow governments through guerrilla warfare tactics (hit-and-run attacks, sabotage, kidnappings)
• Guerrilla movements often had leftist ideologies, such as Marxism or socialism, and aimed to establish more egalitarian societies
• Despite their efforts, most guerrilla movements were ultimately defeated by the superior military power of the state and the use of counterinsurgency tactics

Montoneros in Argentina

• The Montoneros were a left-wing Peronist guerrilla group that operated in Argentina during the 1960s and 1970s
• Formed in 1970, the Montoneros initially supported the return of Juan Perón from exile but later turned against him due to ideological differences
• Engaged in armed struggle against the Argentine military dictatorship, carrying out bombings, assassinations, and kidnappings
• The Montoneros were eventually crushed by the Argentine military during the "Dirty War" (1976-1983), with many of their members killed, disappeared, or forced into exile

Tupamaros in Uruguay

• The Tupamaros, officially known as the National Liberation Movement, were a left-wing urban guerrilla group in Uruguay during the 1960s and early 1970s
• Named after Túpac Amaru II, an 18th-century Peruvian indigenous leader who rebelled against Spanish colonial rule
• Carried out bank robberies, kidnappings, and political assassinations to destabilize the Uruguayan government and promote their socialist agenda
• The Tupamaros were effectively suppressed by the Uruguayan military following the 1973 coup d'état, with many members imprisoned or forced underground

Social and Religious Opposition

Liberation Theology and Religious Resistance

• Liberation theology emerged as a religious movement within the Catholic Church in Latin America during the 1950s and 1960s
• Emphasized the importance of social justice and the liberation of the poor and oppressed, drawing on Marxist ideas and the concept of "preferential option for the poor"
• Priests and religious figures influenced by liberation theology often worked with marginalized communities and supported their struggles against oppression and inequality
• Some notable proponents of liberation theology, such as Archbishop Óscar Romero in El Salvador, were targeted and killed by right-wing death squads for their activism and criticism of the government

Student Protests and Activism

• University students played a significant role in organizing protests and resistance against military dictatorships in Latin America
• Student movements often embraced left-wing ideologies and demanded greater democracy, social justice, and an end to state repression
• In Mexico, the 1968 Tlatelolco massacre, in which government forces killed hundreds of protesting students, galvanized opposition to the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI)
• Student protests in Brazil, such as the 1968 "March of the One Hundred Thousand," challenged the military dictatorship and called for the restoration of civil liberties and democratic rule

Labor Unions and Workers' Resistance

• Labor unions and workers' organizations were important actors in the resistance against military dictatorships in Latin America
• Unions often organized strikes, work stoppages, and demonstrations to protest against the erosion of workers' rights, declining living standards, and state repression
• In Chile, the Central Union of Workers (CUT) played a key role in opposing the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet and advocating for the restoration of democracy
• In Brazil, metalworkers' unions in the ABC region of São Paulo, led by figures like Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, organized major strikes in the late 1970s and early 1980s, challenging the military regime and laying the groundwork for the rise of the Workers' Party (PT)

Human Rights Organizations and Advocacy

• Human rights organizations emerged in Latin America to document and denounce the abuses committed by military dictatorships, including torture, extrajudicial killings, and forced disappearances
• Groups like the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo in Argentina and the Vicariate of Solidarity in Chile worked tirelessly to uncover the truth about the fate of the disappeared and to seek justice for the victims of state terror
• Human rights organizations also collaborated with international bodies, such as the United Nations and Amnesty International, to raise awareness of human rights violations and to pressure governments to respect human rights
• The efforts of human rights organizations helped to galvanize opposition to military dictatorships and contributed to the eventual transition to democracy in many Latin American countries

External Factors in Resistance

International Pressure and Support for Democratization

• International pressure played a significant role in the resistance against military dictatorships and the eventual transition to democracy in Latin America
• The United States, under President Jimmy Carter (1977-1981), made human rights a key component of its foreign policy and pressured Latin American dictatorships to respect human rights and hold democratic elections
• The Catholic Church, particularly under Pope John Paul II, also spoke out against human rights abuses and supported the struggle for democracy in Latin America
• International human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, documented abuses and lobbied governments to take action against repressive regimes

Transition to Democracy and the End of Military Dictatorships

• The resistance against military dictatorships, combined with international pressure and changing geopolitical circumstances, eventually led to a wave of democratization in Latin America during the 1980s and 1990s
• In Argentina, the military junta's defeat in the Falklands/Malvinas War (1982) and the growing opposition movement forced the regime to call for elections, resulting in the restoration of civilian rule in 1983
• In Chile, a 1988 referendum, in which the opposition campaigned for a "No" vote against the continuation of Pinochet's rule, paved the way for a transition to democracy and the election of a civilian president in 1989
• The end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s also contributed to the decline of military dictatorships in Latin America, as the perceived threat of communist subversion diminished and the United States shifted its foreign policy priorities