Author: DAYANARA TAPIA

Posted on by DAYANARA TAPIA Final Timeline Project

Women Rising to Power in Latin America

Works Cited Page

Bilbao, Francisco. Generational Warrior. In Problems in Modern Latin America: Sources and Interpretations, 5th edition, edited by James A. Wood and Anna Rose Alexander, 121-126. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2019.

Chambers, Sarah C.. From Subjects to Citizens: Honor, Gender, and Politics in Arequipa, Peru, 1780–1854. In Problems in Modern Latin America: Sources and Interpretations, 5th edition, edited by James A. Wood and Anna Rose Alexander, 37-41. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2019.

Cruz-Taura, Graciella. “Women’s Rights and the Cuban Constitution of 1940.” Cuban Studies 24 (1994): 123–40. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24485773.

Dawson, Alexander S. “Gender Trouble.” Chapter. In Latin America since Independence: A History with Primary Sources. Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2022. 

Dimas, Carlos S.. 2022. Poisoned Eden : Cholera Epidemics, State-Building, and the Problem of Public Health in Tucumán, Argentina, 1865-1908, 165-228. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. ProQuest Ebook Central.

Frank, Dana. “Women’s Power Is Union Power: Banana Worker Unions in Latin America.” New Labor Forum 14, no. 2 (2005): 84–94. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40342549.

Lane, Kris. Quito 1599: City and Colony in Transition. In Problems in Modern Latin America: Sources and Interpretations, 5th edition, edited by James A. Wood and Anna Rose Alexander, 7-12. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2019.

Lavrin, Ascunción. “Women, the Family, and Social Change in Latin America.” World Affairs 150, no. 2 (1987): 109–28. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20672132.

Navarro, Marysa. “The Case of Eva Perón.” Signs 3, no. 1 (1977): 229–40. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3173094.

Peron, Eva. The First Lady’s Peronist Feminism. In Problems in Modern Latin America: Sources and Interpretations, 5th edition, edited by James A. Wood and Anna Rose Alexander, 192-194. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2019.

Towns, Ann. “The Inter-American Commission of Women and Women’s Suffrage, 1920—1945.” Journal of Latin American Studies 42, no. 4 (2010): 779–807. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40984958.

Wood, James A., and Anna Rose Alexander. “Populism.” Chapter. In Problems in Modern Latin American History: Sources and Interpretations, 192. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2019. 

Posted on by DAYANARA TAPIA Module 4 assignment: Latin America in the media

Venezuela’s Oil Sanction

The article “The U.S. is Trying to Mend Ties with Venezuela. One Big Reason? Oil” analyzes the United States’ sanction, under Trump’s presidential term, that was placed on Venezuela and their oil. Now under President Biden, the United States is in efforts to restore their peace with Venezuela by authorizing “U.S.-based Chevron to resume limited oil operations” (Otis par 4). This action was due to the ban of Russian oil imports that aids Venezuela’s economy and hurts the US. Venezuela’s downhill economy under Maduro is expected to recover due to its exports with the US. The current president of Venezuela, Maduro, who still remains in power due to decree, has been under presidential chaos as Guaido was appointed as acting president and the president’s legitimacy is questioned. However, as Maduro remains in power, the growing economy favors his position. 

With the sanctions former president Trump has placed on Venezuela, it highlights and reinforces the United States previous intervention with Latin American countries. Friedman in “Neoliberalism and Its Prospects” advocates for “radical free-market policies” and eliminate government intervention (Friedman 271-272). To add on, in “Global Neoliberalism” by William I. Robinson, a  “laissez-faire approach” was promoted for “international trade and the elimination of state intervention “ (Robinson 274-275). With both documents, the efforts of Neoliberalism impacted Latin American countries and their governments such as Chile’s experimentation but US intervention under Reagan launched neoliberalism to capitalism (275).  

Several moments listed when the United States has intervened with Latin American countries was with Cuba during the Cold War and not being able to enter foreign trade agreements and/or treaties without the US’ approval, Mexico in 1914 when Wilson imposed a blockade on their port to unallow import of arms, and the halt of communism in Latin American countries and promote democracy. 

There has been constant efforts of the United States intervening with Latin American countries that impacts their economy. In fact, it is still present such as in Venezuela when Trump placed a sanction and now Biden is relieving such. History continues to repeat itself while the United States involves themselves in other countries and then tries to mend the consequences of their actions. 

Works Cited

Otis, John. “The U.S. Is Trying to Mend Ties with Venezuela. One Big Reason? Oil.” NPR. NPR, November 26, 2022. https://www.npr.org/2022/11/03/1133615222/us-venezuela-diplomacy-oil-sanctions-negotiations.

Wood, James A., Anna Rose Alexander, and Milton Friedman. “Neoliberalism and Its Prospects.” Document. In Problems in Modern Latin American History: Sources and Interpretations. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2019. 

Wood, James A., Anna Rose Alexander, and William I. Robinson. “Global Neoliberalism.” Document. In Problems in Modern Latin American History: Sources and Interpretations. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2019. 

Posted on by DAYANARA TAPIA Timeline pilot project

Evolution of Women in Latin America

Works Cited

Cruz-Taura, Graciella. “Women’s Rights and the Cuban Constitution of 1940.” Cuban Studies 24 (1994): 123–40. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24485773.

Wood, James A., and Anna Rose Alexander. “Independence.” Chapter. In Problems in Modern Latin American History: Sources and Interpretations. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2019.

Wood, James A., and Anna Rose Alexander. “Legacies of Colonialism .” Chapter. In Problems in Modern Latin American History: Sources and Interpretations. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2019.

Posted on by DAYANARA TAPIA Module 3 assignment - Latin America in the Cold War

US Embargo on Cuba and Communism

For years, Cuba was unequal to the United States and an example of this was embargos. In 1959, the US placed an arms embargo during Fulgencio Batista’s ruling that eventually led to the rise of Castro. Communism was one of the United States’ threats and during the Cold War Era, Castro’s effort to spread communism was supported by the Soviet Union. Therefore, the US reacted to the spread by orchestrating the Bay of Pigs, which was unsuccessful, and placing more embargos.

In a 1961 memorandum, Secretary of State Dean Rusk answered Senator Smathers questions on the embargo that will be placed on Cuba to which he responded that by doing so, Castro loses power. As stated in the memorandum, placing an embargo, “will deprive Castro of dollar exchange… unable to dispose of approximately $60-70 million annually of these commodities in this market…in my opinion, the economic disadvantage to Castro would outweigh the political advantage” (Rusk 2). Cuba in the Cold War therefore will suffer a great loss economically due to this embargo which signifies the US’ continuous efforts to overthrow Castro and stop communism. The US will move forward with placing this embargo as they are receiving Cuba’s exports and acknowledge how the US will suffer but find different ways to import. By placing this embargo, it aids the US by halting the spread of communism due to any other country that supports it and/or Castro, would suffer equal effects like Cuba will. The document also discusses how the Trading with the Enemy Act was postponed until Latin American countries can comprehend how dangerous Castro and communism is. Once again, in effect, this act would prevent the spread because countries will start to refuse as they can see the lingering effects it would have on the economy with the embargoes placed. Therefore, with Cuba’s economy falling apart and blockage of trade, the United States achieves its goal of stopping communism.

By not only placing embargos and orchestrating invasions, the US also encouraged democracy in Latin American countries. Latin American politics consisted of expanding communism like Guatemala and their “pursuit of land reform” (Wood 245) and as much as the United States tried to prevent this spread, they acknowledged it was the country’s decision whether to adopt democracy or not because if forced, it will be used as a weak government. Castro therefore politically argued Cuba depended on communism (Dawson 212) in which the US reacted by simply encouraging “the growth of democracy” (Wood 245).

Works Cited

Dawson, Alexander S. “A Decade of Revolution in Cuba.” Chapter. In Latin America since Independence: A History with Primary Sources. New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2022. 

Rusk, Dean. “State Department, Memorandum, ‘Questions Arising from Senator Smathers Recommendation That Remaining Exports from Cuba to the United States by Embargoed,’ Secret, February 24, 1961.” National Security Archive . Accessed November 15, 2022. https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/document/27404-document-5-state-department-memorandum-questions-arising-senator-smathers. 

Wood, James A., and Anna Rose Alexander. “The Cold War.” Chapter. In Problems in Modern Latin American History: Sources and Interpretations. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2019.

Posted on by DAYANARA TAPIA Module 2 assignment - Visual sources of late 19th-century or early 20th-century Latin America

Unloading Sugar Cane

Tulane University Digital Library Collection 60, #GI02-0111

After the 1850s, sugar plantations became an essential commodity in the export boom for Latin American countries like Mexico, Argentina, and Cuba and before the 1850s, St. Domingue. There has been a constant evolution with sugarcanes and plantations as in the 1700s St. Domingue was the richest colony due to its sugar plantation and importation of enslaved Africans (Dawson 70) in which Cuba then replaced them as the largest producer of sugar. The theme present through this development is the expansion of Latin America’s exporting economy.


In Mexico, their economy consisted of bringing in new agricultural wealth which can be supported by the illustration above as workers can be seen unloading sugar canes onto a wagon tied to an animal on an hacienda plantation. Behind them is an aqueduct in which they used to transport water to use for the boom in sugarcanes demand. The image takes place in Mexico, one of the countries with temperate climates to grow livestock along with Argentina. In the image, four workers are present transporting the sugarcanes and it can be interpreted that with the low number of workers, growing sugarcane didn’t require a lot of laborers making this cost effective with low labor costs while producing mass amounts. An example of this is in Argentina where Tucumán’s economy made the transition from farming to sugarcane because it was a quick profit and an advancement (Dimas 117) while they also “relied on the railroad to keep the sugar industry running” (141). This further emphasizes how sugarcanes was able to fuel the country’s economy because of its low cost and high production with migrant workers. Argentina and Mexico therefore both used the ideology that sugarcanes would be a part of their agricultural wealth.


To support the process of sugarcanes, aqueducts and railroads were often used. As stated before, aqueducts supported the growth of sugarcanes while railroads supported the transportation of them. Railroads were a huge asset for countries to export agriculture and mining (Dawson 100). Although in the image, no railroads were present, it was essential for countries like Mexico and Argentina to be able to export sugarcanes and hacienda plantations as the estate to control the growth and exportation of these crops. The process of sugarcanes aided the economy by exporting goods and importing massive amounts of wealth.

Works Cited

Dawson, Alexander S. Latin America since Independence: A History with Primary Sources. New York, NY: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2022.

Dimas, Carlos S.. 2022. Poisoned Eden : Cholera Epidemics, State-Building, and the Problem of Public Health in Tucumán, Argentina, 1865-1908. Lincoln: Nebraska. Accessed October 20, 2022. ProQuest Ebook Central.

Posted on by DAYANARA TAPIA Module 1 assignment - Late Colonial and early Independence Latin American sources

Slave Market at Rio Janeiro 

Slave Market at Rio Janeiro. 1824.

Brazil, declaring their independence in 1822, was one of the last countries to abolish slavery in 1888. The image dates back to 1824, two years after Brazil’s independence and yet slavery was still present. With that, this illustration depicts a slave market in Rio de Jainero where black slaves are sitting and children are being sold to their soon to be white owners. One of the children is being held aggressively by a man in which the buyer is seen pointing at them as he chooses the child to buy. To the right of this, is another man picking out a slave who is also being held with a hand on their head showing the mistreatment and inhumanity and how they were only seen as property. While the men are dressed respectfully, the slaves and children are dressed in cloths and not proper clothing. Once again, this depicts inhumanity and how they are seen as property even after Brazil was declared independent.

In 1808, Emperor João VI moved the royal court to Rio de Janeiro making the city the “official center of the Empire” that led to an increase of trade (Dawson 14). With the Spanish intrroducting slavery into the New World (Townsend 299), slavery was important for Brazil as it was beneficial to their economy. As other countries were declaring their independence and abolishing slavery, Pedro I of Brazil, son of Emperor João VI, had declared independence and established a constitutional monarchy which saved slavery (Dawson 15). As slavery was saved due to the benefits like the agricultural economy, citizens had acknowledged that slavery had to be present.

The correlation between the image of Slave Market at Rio Janeiro and the events that eventually led to the independence of Brazil is the drawing depicting the auction between slaves and buyers and how declaring indepdence did not abolish slavery as citizens saw the benefits slavery had.

Works Cited

Dawson, Alexander S. “Independence Narratives, Past and Present.” Latin America since Independence: A History with Primary Sources, Routledge, 2022. 

Townsend, Camilla. “Angela Batallas: A Fight for Freedom in Guayaquil.” The Human Tradition in Colonial Latin America, edited by Kenneth J. Andrien, Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham, MD, 2013.