GMS 693: The Latin American &

Caribbean Business Environment

Dr. Henrique Correa da Cunha

henrique.cunha@ryerson.ca

& CARIBBEAN

https://www.estudopratico.com.br/america-latina-origem-do-nome-e-economia/
Today’s agenda
• Course Administration

• Instructor Profile

• The Study Region

• Geography
• Demographics
• Brief History
2
Course Administration
Review the course outline
 In-class participation: Everyone is encouraged and expected to participate and contribute to the
discussions.
Announcements on D2L
Recommended readings
Course evaluation
Weekly Quizzes (20%)

Term Test 1 (25%) – March 2, 2021

Individual Exam (including content from weeks 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6)

Business Plan (30%) – Due on April 6

Group Report - Company entering a country in Latin America and the Caribbean
Term Test 2 (25%) – April 13, 2021
Individual Exam (including content from weeks 8, 9, 10 and 11)
3
Course Agenda (Tentative Schedule)
Week Date Topic Assignments Readings

1 January 19, 2021 Overview of the region Lecture notes & assigned readings
2 January 26, 2021 Culture, Management & Negotiation Weekly Quiz #1 due Lecture notes & assigned readings
3 February 2, 2021 From ISI to export led economic Weekly Quiz #2 due Lecture notes & assigned readings
growth
4 February 9, 2021 Trade and Investment Weekly Quiz #3 due Lecture notes & assigned readings
5 February 16, Study Week No classes No classes
2021
6 February 23, Corruption & Political Risk Weekly Quiz #4 due Lecture notes & assigned readings
2021
7 March 2, 2021 Exam on D2L during class time Term Test #1 Online Quiz - Individual Exam (including
content from Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6)
8 March 9, 2021 Crime and the Drug Trade Weekly Quiz #5 due Lecture notes & assigned readings
9 March 16, 2021 Competition & Ease of Doing Weekly Quiz #6 due Lecture notes & assigned readings
Business
10 March 23, 2021 Multilatinas & Global Latinas Weekly Quiz #7 due Lecture notes & assigned readings
11 March 30, 2021 Marketing in LAC Weekly Quiz #8 due Lecture notes & assigned readings
13 April 06, 2021 Course wrap up and final reports Final Group Reports Due
due
14 April 13, 2021 Exam on D2L during class time Term Test #2 Online Quiz - Individual Exam (including
4
content from Weeks 8, 9, 10 and 11)
 Course Administration
Instructor Profile:
• Professional experience
• IT
• Supply-chain planning
• Consulting
• Education
• Academic interests/research

5
 The Study Region – Latin America and the Caribbean
• We are dealing with a region that consists of 33 countries. It is a
large number!
• There are some countries which are essentially overseas territories of colonial powers, e.g. the British
Virgin Islands (Britain), Martinique (France), French Guyana (France).

• As a result we will not try to cover them all in depth.

• Will take a high level approach and use examples that highlight
important patterns and characteristics in the region.

• Students have the opportunity to work in groups on specific

countries which may be of interest to them.
6
 The Study Region – Latin America and The Caribbean
North America (1) Central America (7) South America (12) The Caribbean (13)

• Mexico • Guatemala • Venezuela • Cuba

• Belize • Colombia • Bahamas
• El Salvador • Guyana • Jamaica
• Honduras • Suriname • Dominican Republic
• Nicaragua • Ecuador • Haiti
• Costa Rica • Peru • Antigua & Barbuda
• Panama • Chile • Dominica
• Brazil • St Lucia
• St Kitts-Nevis
• Bolivia
• St Vincent & the
• Paraguay Grenadines
• Uruguay • Barbados
• Argentina • Grenada
• Trinidad & Tobago

7
Importance of the Region- Participation in World Economy

https://www.visualcapitalist.
com/80-trillion-world-
economy-one-chart/

World Bank data - 2017

8
 Geography – Number of Countries in the Region
• The LAC region stretches from Tierra del Fuego
(the southernmost tip of Chile) to Mexico in
the north (bordering with the United States).

• The region straddles the two largest oceans:

• Pacific to the west
• Atlantic to the east

• These oceans are connected by the Panama

Canal completed in 1914 which is a
strategically important maritime shipping
route. 9
 Geography - Size
In terms of total land area, Brazil is certainly the largest
country in the region with some 8 million sq. km.
Argentina and Mexico also boast significant land areas with
approximately 2-3 million sq. km of total land area.
Some islands of the Caribbean are tiny with several having
total land areas less than 700 sq. km.

Source:
https://www.worldometers.info/geography/larges
10
t-countries-in-the-world/
 Geography - Climate
Climatic conditions also vary across the
region
• Some countries e.g. Grenada, Cuba and
Dominica with hot tropical conditions and
other countries e.g. Uruguay having a more
temperate climate.
• Argentina is also mostly temperate.
• Brazil with its huge land mass is mostly
tropical or semitropical but with a
temperate zone to the south.
• Mexico’s climate is also variable from
tropical to desert (in the state of Chihuahua). 11
 Table 1: Land Area & Climatic Conditions
North America (1 country)
Country Land Area (sq. km)* Climate**
Mexico 1,943,950 Varies from Tropical Wet to Arid (desert)

12
Sources: *World Bank. http://databank.worldbank.org/data/reports.aspx?source=2&country=LCN ** Goodwin P.B (2009). Global Studies: Latin America. 13th Edition, McGraw Hill. Image: https://geo-mexico.com/?p=9512
 Table 1: Land Area & Climatic Conditions
Central America (7 countries)
Country Land Area Climate**
(sq. km)*
Belize 22,810 Tropical
Costa Rica 51,060 Tropical
El Salvador 20,720 Tropical
Guatemala 107,160 Temperate in highlands;
tropical on coasts
Honduras 111,890 Subtropical with
temperate highlands
Nicaragua 129,494** Tropical with temperate
highlands
Panama 74,340 Tropical marine

13
Sources: *World Bank. http://databank.worldbank.org/data/reports.aspx?source=2&country=LCN ** Goodwin P.B (2009). Global Studies: Latin America. 13th Edition, McGraw Hill. Image: https://open.lib.umn.edu/worldgeography/chapter/5-3-central-america/
 14
Sources: *World Bank. http://databank.worldbank.org/data/reports.aspx?source=2&country=LCN ** Goodwin P.B (2009). Global Studies: Latin America. 13th Edition, McGraw Hill.
 Table 1: Land Area & Climatic Conditions
The Caribbean (13 countries)
Country Land Area (sq. km)* Climate**
Antigua and Barbuda 440 Tropical
Barbados 430 Tropical
Cuba 106,449 Tropical
Dominica 750 Tropical
Dominican Republic 48,320 Tropical
Grenada 340 Tropical
Haiti 27,560 Tropical to semiarid
Jamaica 10,830 Tropical with temperate interior
St. Kitts and Nevis 260 Subtropical
St. Lucia 610 Tropical
St. Vincent and the Grenadines 390 Tropical
Trinidad and Tobago 5,130 Tropical
Bahamas, The 10,010 Tropical
15
Sources: *World Bank. http://databank.worldbank.org/data/reports.aspx?source=2&country=LCN ** Goodwin P.B (2009). Global Studies: Latin America. 13th Edition, McGraw Hill.
 16
Sources: https://geology.com/world/caribbean-satellite-image.shtml.
 Table 1: Land Area & Climatic Conditions
South America (12 countries)
Country Land Area (sq. km)* Climate**
Argentina 2,736,690 Mostly temperate, sub-Antarctic in south west
Bolivia 1,083,300 Varies from tropical and humid to semiarid and cold
Brazil 8,358,140 Mostly tropical with temperate zone in the south
Chile 743,532 Temperate, desert in north, Mediterranean in
center; cool in south
Colombia 1,109,500 Tropical on coast and eastern plains, cool in
highlands
Ecuador 248,360 Tropical on coast and inland jungle, cool in interior
Guyana 196,850 Tropical
Paraguay 397,300 Subtropical to temperate
Suriname 163,265** Tropical
Peru 1,280,000 Temperate to tropical
Uruguay 175,020 Temperate
Venezuela, RB 882,050 Tropical to temperate
17
Sources: *World Bank. http://databank.worldbank.org/data/reports.aspx?source=2&country=LCN ** Goodwin P.B (2009). Global Studies: Latin America. 13th Edition, McGraw Hill.
18
 19
Source: http://adockrill.blogspot.com/2012/05/latin-america-environmental-maps.html
 Geography – The Andes Mountains
Note:
The Andes Mountains runs along the
western side of South America from
Venezuela to Chile and is one of the longest
ranges in the world (approximately 7,200
km).
The average elevation in the Andes is about
13,000 feet (3,962 meters).
The highest elevation in the Andes is Mount
Aconcagua in Argentina, which is 22,841
feet (6,962 m) above sea level.
20
http://www.mapsofworld.com/travel/destinations/andes-mountains/attachment/andes-mountain
 Geography –
The Andes Mountains
Note:
Settlement and the establishment of
cities have been impacted by the
Andes.
In Colombia, for example, each of the
major cities (Bogotá, Medellin and
Cali) are situated in valleys isolated
from each other by the Andes which
splits off into three distinct ranges
(Goodwin 2009, P. 54).
https://www.developmentchannel.org/2017/10/10/cocoa-conflicts-continue-in-columbia-
disrupting-the-peace/ 21
 Geography
Note:
Bogota (7,5 million people) is the
capital of Colombia, was built in a
valley in the middle of the Andes
mountain range (Altitude: approx.
2,600m over sea level), making it
a relatively cold place with
temperatures ranging from just
above freezing in early morning to
a max of around 21 degrees
Celsius at midday (in a good sunny
day). https://www.cope.es/actualidad/internacional/noticias/encuentran-muerto-espanol-bogota-
tras-aparente-intento-robo-20180607_224562 22
 The Amazon Forest

The largest remaining tropical

rainforest in the world it also
houses at least 10% of the world’s
known biodiversity, including
endemic and endangered flora and
fauna, and its river accounts for 15-
16% of the world’s total river
discharge into the oceans. The
Amazon River flows for more than
6,600 km, and with its hundreds of
tributaries and streams contains the
largest number of freshwater fish
species in the world.
https://wwf.panda.org/discover/knowledge_hub/where_we_work/amazon/about_the_amazon/? 23
Latin America – Rich in
Natural Resources

A curse or a blessing?

24
Video 1 – The Geography of Latin America

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DMbqhVw9
mg

25
26
Recommended video:
Geography of the World Latin America Land and
Resources

https://www.youtube.com/watch/wn85IXi6j4k

27
 Population of Latin America and The Caribbean
Total LAC population is
approximately 652
million corresponding
to 8,5% of the total
World population
(7,632 billion people).
Rua 25 de Março, Sao Paulo, Brazil
https://g1.globo.com/sao-paulo/noticia/rua-25-de-marco-vira-formigueiro-humano-no-ultimo-
fim-de-semana-antes-do-natal.ghtml
28
Population of Latin America and The Caribbean

29
https://cartomission.com/2018/04/27/population-2018-by-regions/
Total Population – Mexico and Central America
Country Total population
Mexico 127,017,224
Guatemala 16,342,897
Belize 359,287
El Salvador 6,126,583
Honduras 8,075,060
Nicaragua ** 6,082,032
Costa Rica 4,807,850
Panama 3,929,141
Mexico & Central America Sub-Total 172,740,074

Sources (2015)
http://databank.worldbank.org/data/reports.aspx?source=2&country=LCN
* http://countryeconomy.com/demography/population/suriname
30
** http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/nicaragua-population/
 Total Population – South America
Country Total population
Venezuela 31,108,083
Colombia 48,228,704
Guyana 767,085
Suriname * 567,000
Ecuador 16,144,363
Peru 31,376,670
Chile 17,948,141
Brazil 207,847,528
Bolivia 10,724,705
Paraguay 6,639,123
Uruguay 3,431,555
Argentina 43,416,755
South America Sub-total 418,198,737
Sources (2015):
http://databank.worldbank.org/data/reports.aspx?source=2&country=LCN
* http://countryeconomy.com/demography/population/suriname
31
** http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/nicaragua-population/
 Total Population - Caribbean
Country Total population
Cuba 11,389,562
Bahamas 388,019
Jamaica 2,725,941
Dominican Republic 10,528,391
Haiti 10,711,067
Antigua & Barbuda 91,818
Dominica 72,680
St Lucia 184,999
St Kitts-Nevis 55,572
St Vincent & the Grenadines 109,462
Barbados 284,215
Grenada 106,825
Trinidad & Tobago 1,360,088
Caribbean Sub-total 36,648,551
Sources:
http://databank.worldbank.org/data/reports.aspx?source=2&country=LCN
* http://countryeconomy.com/demography/population/suriname 32
** http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/nicaragua-population/
 Total Population - % of Population by Sub-region

Sub-region Percentage
Mexico and Central America 27,5%
South America 67,1%
The Caribbean 5,4%
Total 100%

Sources (2015):
http://databank.worldbank.org/data/reports.aspx?source=2&country=LCN
* http://countryeconomy.com/demography/population/suriname 33
** http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/nicaragua-population/
Population – Ethnical groups of Latin America

34
https://raciocinioaberto.com.br/a-ascensao-da-consciencia-racial-fomenta-o-racismo/
 Population – Ethnic Composition
In Central and South
America
Mestizos (mixed
European and
Amerindian) make up
the majority of the
population.
Gonzalo Guerrero: Father of the First Mestizos and Army Captain
Mestizos are also called of the Mayans
Ladinos e.g. in Guatemala. Source: https://www.ancient-origins.net/history-famous-people/gonzalo-guerrero-father-first-mestizos-and-army-captain-
mayans-006129

35
 Population – Ethnic Composition

In 2012 Whites
comprised over
50% of Brazil’s
population.

36
https://apnews.com/064ffe303a4b4449a1ed3c84dc287950
 Population – Ethnic Composition
Brazilian Population Ethnical Composition (%)
Since 2015, Mixed are the majority (from 2012 aprox. 18 million whites
changed groups)

Whites Mixed Blacks 37

Fonte: IBGE
 Population – Ethnic Composition

What explains
such a fast
change in
Brazil?

38
https://blackwomenofbrazil.co/white-women-for-marrying-and-the-brazilian-solution/
39
Video 2 – Why race in Brazil is so confusing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haw3ROMgP7g

40
41
Affirmative action or the perception of beauty is changing?

42
 Population – Ethnic Composition
Costa Rica, Argentina and Uruguay are exceptions
where whites comprise the majority of the
population.

43
https://www.gettyimages.in/photos/argentina-national-soccer-team?sort=mostpopular&mediatype=photography&phrase=argentina%20national%20soccer%20team
44
 Population - Ethnic Composition
Mexico and Central America
Country Major Ethnic Groups (% of total population)

Mexico Mestizo (60%); Amerindian (30%)

Guatemala Ladino & White (56%); Amerindian (44%)
Belize Mestizo (49%); Creole (25%); Maya (11%)
El Salvador Mestizo (90%)
Honduras Mestizo (90%)
Nicaragua Mestizo (69%); White (17%)
Costa Rica White (96%)
Panama Mestizo (70%); West Indian (14%)

45
Goodwin P.B (2009). Global Studies: Latin America. 13th Edition, McGraw Hill.
 Population - Ethnic Composition
South America
Country Major Ethnic Groups (% of total population)
Venezuela Mestizo (67%); White (21%)
Colombia Mestizo (58%); White (20%); Mulatto (14%)
Guyana East Indian (56%); Black (30%)
Suriname East Indian (37%); Creole (31%)
Ecuador Mestizo (65%); Indian (25%)
Peru Indian (45%); Mestizo (37%)
Chile European & Mestizo (95%)
Brazil White (43%); Mixed (47%), Black (9%)
Bolivia Quechua (30%); Aymara (25%); Mestizo (30%)
Paraguay Mestizo (95%)
Uruguay White (88%)
Argentina White (97%)
46
Goodwin P.B (2009). Global Studies: Latin America. 13th Edition, McGraw Hill.
 Population - Ethnic Composition
The Caribbean
Country Major Ethnic Groups (% of total population)
Cuba Mulatto (51%); White (37%); Black (11%)
Bahamas Black (85%); White (15%)
Jamaica Black (90%)
Dominican Republic Mixed (73%); White (16%)
Haiti Black (95%)
Antigua & Barbuda Black (almost 100%)
Dominica Black some Carib Indians
St Lucia Black (83%)
St Kitts-Nevis Black
St Vincent & the Grenadines Black (66%); Mixed (19%)
Barbados Black (90%)
Grenada Black (82%)
Trinidad & Tobago East Indian (40%); Black (38%); Mixed (21%)
47
Goodwin P.B (2009). Global Studies: Latin America. 13th Edition, McGraw Hill.
 Geography

Question:
Is there a relationship between climate
and the characteristics of the population
(races) in Latin America?

48
 Climate, economic activities, ethnic composition of the population
and inequality
The plantation system …
divided the land into large
areas suitable for farming.

A few wealthy, white

landowners owned the bulk
of the land, while the
majority of the population
was made up of poor
farmers, indentured servants,
and slaves.
49
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/plantation-system/
 Geography – Climate and Population

50
Racial Inequality in Brazil from Independence to the Present - Justin R. Bucciferro (2017)
Language – Latin America and the Caribbean

What languages are spoken in the

region?

51
 Language – South America

What is the
Treaty of
Tordesillas?

https://www.grand-illusions.com/treaty-of-tordesillas-c2x27460494 52
 Brief History
• The region was “discovered” in
1492 by Christopher Columbus,
a Italian Explorer sponsored by
Ferdinand II and Isabella I, the
Catholic Monarchs of Aragon,
Castile, and Leon in Spain.
• It was the result of pioneering
expeditions on the part of
countries such as Spain,
Portugal, Britain and France in
search of new commercial
ocean routes and sources of
wealth (Horwitz, 2016).
Landing of Columbus, oil on canvas by John Vanderlyn, 1846; in
the U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C.
Architect of the Capitol 53
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Christopher-Columbus/The-first-voyage
 Brief History
•Explorers were really in
search of a faster and more
efficient sea route to Asia
when they stumbled across
this continent.
• Spaniards (who arrived in 1492) used
Cuba as a base and the Portuguese (who
arrived in 1500) used Brazil as a base to
explore the continent and conquer the
indigenous people they found there.
54
 Brief History
• The native populations of these countries
were no match for the military powers of the
Europeans. Many also succumbed to
infectious diseases brought with the
Europeans.

• The Aztec and Inca empires found in Mexico

and Peru were almost completely destroyed
by the Europeans as were the Arawak
people who were found in the Caribbean.

• African slaves were eventually brought in as

forced labour to replace the decimated
indigenous populations.

• The colonization of LAC was the outcome of

http://disinfo.com/2015/10/case-indigenous-peoples-day/

bloody confrontation and disease.

55
Brief History – Contrasting Americas North and South
• Spain and Portugal as with all colonial powers (e.g. Britain)
imposed a system of mercantilism on their colonies.

• These colonies became producers (using forced labour) of

primary commodities for export to Europe. This set in motion a
trade pattern that still exists to today.

• The colonial systems adopted by the Europeans in the Americas

resulted in highly stratified societies. A small group of landowners
and elites ruled over the native, mestizo and black slave
populations. 56
 Language – South America

Treaty of Tordesillas, (June 7,

1494)
An agreement between Spain
and Portugal aimed at settling
conflicts over lands newly
discovered or explored by
Christopher Columbus and
other late 15th-century
voyagers.

57
 Language – South America
Demarcation between Spanish
and Portuguese territory, as first
defined by Pope Alexander VI
(1493) and later revised by the
Treaty of Tordesillas (1494).
Spain won control of lands
discovered west of the line, while
Portugal gained rights to new
lands to the east.

Not a deal for Portugal!

https://www.britannica.com/event/Treaty-of-Tordesillas
58
Language – Latin America and the Caribbean
Spanish and English are the languages spoken
by the majority of countries in LAC (number
of countries).

Question:
If the Treaty of Tordesillas divided the
lands between Portugal and Spain, why
English is spoken in so many countries in
the region?
59
 Language – Latin America and the Caribbean
England was the most successful of the northwestern
European predators on the Spanish possessions.
In 1623 the English occupied part of Saint Christopher (Saint Kitts)
In 1625 they occupied Barbados.
By 1655, when Jamaica was captured from a small Spanish garrison
English colonies had been established in Nevis, Antigua, and Montserrat.
France occupied the rest of Saint Kitts, took control of Guadeloupe and Martinique in
1635 and in 1697 formally annexed Saint-Domingue (Haiti), the western third
of Hispaniola, which for about half a century had been occupied by buccaneers and
French settlers.
Curaçao, Aruba, and Bonaire, off the coast of present-day Venezuela, and Sint
Eustatius, Saba, and half of Saint Martin (Sint Maarten), in the northern group of the
Lesser Antilles, became Dutch possessions in the 1630s, but more as part of the military
strategy of the Dutch war of independence against Spain than in expectation of
agricultural riches.
60
https://www.britannica.com/place/West-Indies-island-group-Atlantic-Ocean/Colonialism
 Language – Mexico and Central America
Spanish is the dominant language in Mexico and
across Central America although various
indigenous languages may also be spoken.

61
 Language – Central America
For business Spanish is the major language although
we should note that in Belize English is the language
used in commerce.

Spanish is Panama’s official language but English is

widely spoken among expats doing business in the
country.

62
 Language – South America

Across South America

Spanish is also the
dominant language but
Brazil (the most
economically
important country in
the region) is
Portuguese speaking.
63
 Language – South America

Suriname also differs

and is Dutch speaking.
Countries across South
America may also
speak a number of
indigenous languages
but these are typically
used in less formal
interactions. https://www.facebook.com/1247884278693122/posts/1293888100759406/
64
 Language - Caribbean
English dominates
across much of the
Caribbean.
Exceptions include:
•Haiti (French speaking)
•Cuba and the
Dominican Republic
(Spanish speaking)
65
https://www.pngfind.com/mpng/ioJiJbR_02-11-august-2010-language-map-of-the/
 Religion

•With a few exceptions, Roman

Catholicism is the dominant
religion in Mexico and across
South and Central America.
•Christianity in its various forms
(Catholicism, Protestant,
Adventist, Anglican etc.) is
practiced across much of the http://www.sacred-destinations.com/brazil/rio-christ-the-redeemer

Caribbean. 66
 Religion - Hinduism
Due to the East Indian
heritage in Guyana,
Suriname and Trinidad
and Tobago, Hinduism is
practiced by a significant
part of the population.

Hindu temple in Suriname:

https://www.reddit.com/r/hinduism/comments/44pdtx/hindu_temple_in_suriname_a_caribbeansouth/
67
 Religion - Hinduism
Historical context (East Indians in Trinidad)

East Indians first arrived in Trinidad as

indentured labourers from colonial India in
the second half of the nineteenth century
following the abolition of slavery in 1833.
Between 1845 and 1917 more than
150,000 indentured (Muslim and Hindu)
labourers were brought to Trinidad by
British migrant labour contractors
primarily to work on the sugar estates.
https://minorityrights.org/minorities/east-indians/
68
 Religion – African Influences
Haiti is a bit of an outlier because of
the pervasiveness of voodoo.

In Brazil, Umbanda, Candomblé and

Espiritsmo are popular religions
heritage from the African traditions.

As will be seen in the next lecture

religion is an important element of
culture which is in turn a major
driver of consumer behavior.
69
Language and Religion – Mexico and Central America

Country Major Languages Major Religions (% of population)

Mexico Spanish Roman Catholic (77%)
Guatemala Spanish & Maya languages Roman Catholic; Protestant; Maya
Belize Spanish. English (official) Roman Catholic (50%)
El Salvador Spanish Roman Catholic (83%)
Honduras Spanish Roman Catholic (97%)
Nicaragua Spanish Roman Catholic (73%)
Costa Rica Spanish Roman Catholic (76%)
Panama Spanish & English Roman Catholic (85%)
70
Goodwin P.B (2009). Global Studies: Latin America. 13th Edition, McGraw Hill.
 Language and Religion – South America
Country Major Languages Major Religions (% of
population)
Venezuela Spanish Roman Catholic (96%)
Columbia Spanish Roman Catholic (90%)
Guyana English & indigenous dialects Christian (50%); Hindu (33%)
Suriname Dutch & Sranantonga (Creole) Hindu (27%); Protestant (25%)
Ecuador Spanish & Amerindian languages Roman Catholic (95%)
Peru Spanish Roman Catholic (81%)
Chile Spanish Roman Catholic (70%)
Brazil Portuguese Roman Catholic (70%)
Bolivia Spanish, Quechua & Aymara Roman Catholic (95%)
Paraguay Spanish Roman Catholic (90%)
Uruguay Spanish Roman Catholic (66%)
Argentina Spanish, Italian & English Roman Catholic (90%)
71
Goodwin P.B (2009). Global Studies: Latin America. 13th Edition, McGraw Hill.
 Language and Religion - Caribbean
Country Major Languages Major Religions (% of population)
Cuba Spanish Roman Catholic (85%)
Bahamas English Baptist (32%); Anglican (14%)
Jamaica English Protestant (63%)
Dominican Republic Spanish Roman Catholic (95%)
Haiti French Roman Catholic/Voodoo (80%)
Antigua & Barbuda English Anglican (26%); Seventh Day Adventist (12%)
Dominica English Roman Catholic (61%)
St Lucia English Roman Catholic (68%)
St Kitts-Nevis English Anglican
St Vincent & Grenadines English Anglican (47%); Methodist (28%)
Barbados English Protestant (67%)
Grenada English Roman Catholic (53%)
Trinidad & Tobago English Roman Catholic (26%); Hindi (23%)
72
Goodwin P.B (2009). Global Studies: Latin America. 13th Edition, McGraw Hill.
 Forms of Government
Most countries in our study region have some
form of democratic government.
The exception is, of course,
Cuba which remains a
communist state.
What about Venezuela? 73
 Forms of Government

74
https://www.eiu.com/topic/democracy-index
 Forms of Government
In the case of parliamentary democracies there exists a
multi-party electoral system and the party with the
greatest number of votes forms the government.

Several other countries are described as republics and

these are again democratic forms of government in which
the people vote for their elected officials and the head of
state is an elected official (and not a colonial
figurehead).

Smaller islands such as St. Vincent are constitutional

democracies and maintain the queen of England as their
official head of state and an elected prime minister as the
head of government.

The Economist Intelligence Unit rated Venezuela an

"authoritarian regime" in 2019. Authoritarian
regimes are nations where political pluralism is
nonexistent or severely limited. https://www.state.gov/a-democratic-crisis-in-venezuela
75
 Dates of Independence
Mexico and the countries of Central and South
America became independent from their colonial
rulers much earlier than the islands of the Caribbean.

Haiti and the Dominican Republic are exceptions.

Most countries in our region gained their

independence from Spain, the UK, Portugal or
France. 76
 Dates of Independence
Haiti and the Dominican Republic were once unified as the island of
Hispaniola from 1821-1844.
In this case the DR declared independence from Haiti which itself had
declared independence from France some 40 years prior.

Similarly, Panama actually declared independence from Spain in 1821

but fearing a backlash quickly joined forces with Colombia. Panama
would eventually separate from Colombia in 1903.

Uruguay only became independent following a bitter 500 day war

between Argentina and Brazil in a deal brokered by Britain in 1828.
77
 Form of Government & Date of Independence – Mexico and Central America

Country Form of Government Date of Independence

(colonizer)
Mexico Federal Republic September 16, 1810 (Spain)
Guatemala Constitutional Democratic Republic September 15, 1821 (Spain)
Belize Parliamentary Democracy September 21, 1981 (UK)
El Salvador Republic September 15, 1821 (Spain)
Honduras Constitutional Democratic Republic September 15, 1821 (Spain
Nicaragua Republic September 15, 1821 (Spain)
Costa Rica Democratic Republic September 15, 1821 (Spain)
Panama Constitutional Democracy November 3, 1903 (Colombia)
78
Goodwin P.B (2009). Global Studies: Latin America. 13th Edition, McGraw Hill.
 Form of Government & Date of Independence – South America
Country Form of Government Date of Independence (colonizer)

Venezuela Republic (Today - Authoritarian July 5, 1811 (Spain)

Regime)
Colombia Republic July 10, 1810 (Spain)
Guyana Republic May 26, 1966 (UK)
Suriname Constitutional Democracy November 25, 1975 (Netherlands)
Ecuador Republic May 24, 1822 (Spain)
Peru Republic July 28, 1821 (Spain)
Chile Republic September 18, 1810 (Spain)
Brazil Federal Republic September 7, 1822 (Portugal)
Bolivia Republic August 6, 1825 (Spain)
Paraguay Republic May 14, 1811 (Spain)
Uruguay Republic August 25, 1828 (Brazil)
Argentina Republic July 9, 1816 (Spain) 79
Goodwin P.B (2009). Global Studies: Latin America. 13th Edition, McGraw Hill.
 Form of Government & Date of Independence - The Caribbean
Country Form of Government Date of Independence (colonizer)
Cuba Communist State May 20, 1902 (Spain)
Bahamas Constitutional Dem. Republic July 10, 1973 (UK)
Jamaica Constitutional Parliamentary Democracy August 6, 1962 (UK)
Dominican Republic Republic February 27, 1844 (Haiti)
Haiti Republic January 1, 1804 (France)
Antigua & Barbuda Parliamentary Democracy November 1, 1981 (UK)
Dominica Parliamentary Democracy November 3, 1978 (UK)
St Lucia Constitutional Monarchy within Commonwealth February 22, 1979 (UK)
St Kitts-Nevis Constitutional Monarchy within Commonwealth September 19, 1983 (UK)
St Vincent & Parliamentary Democracy within British October 27, 1979 (UK)
Grenadines Commonwealth
Barbados Parliamentary Democracy November 30, 1966 (UK)
Grenada Parliamentary Democracy February 7, 1974 (UK)
Trinidad & Tobago Republic August 31, 1962 (UK)
80
Goodwin P.B (2009). Global Studies: Latin America. 13th Edition, McGraw Hill.
 Brief History – Cultural Heritage
• However, after 300 years of domination, Spain and Portugal
had failed to use the wealth from their colonies to modernize
their own economies (or that of the colonies themselves).

Therefore, we can consider that the current

state of underdevelopment and Inequality in
Latin America result from the cultural heritage
from colonial times.
81
 Brief History – Independence Movements
• By 1700 the elites in the colonies were agitating for independence and
would seek the support of the mestizos and the black slaves in their cause.
• While the elites wanted (needed) the support of the marginalized groups
they were not in favor of equal rights, judging these groups to be not
sufficiently “enlightened”. Inequality remained high after independence.
•Independence created “countries out of colonies, but
they were countries largely in name only” (Spillan,
2014).

• By 1826 most of Spanish speaking Latin America had declared their

independence. The Caribbean islands would follow much later. 82
 The cost of Independence

Haitian Revolution, series of

conflicts between 1791 and 1804
between Haitian slaves,
colonists, the armies of the
British and French colonizers,
and a number of other parties.
Through the struggle, the
Haitian people ultimately won
independence from France and
thereby became the first country
to be founded by former slaves. Illustration depicting combat between French and Haitian
troops during the Haitian Revolution.
From Histoire de Napoléon, by M. De Norvins, 1839
83
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Haitian-Revolution
 The cost of Independence
In 1825, barely two decades after winning its
independence against all odds, Haiti was forced
to begin paying enormous “reparations” to the
French slaveholders it had overthrown.
Those payments would have been a staggering
burden for any fledgling nation, but Haiti wasn’t
just any fledgling nation; it was a republic
formed and led by blacks who’d risen up against
the institution of slavery.
As such, Haiti’s independence was viewed as a
threat by all slave-owning countries – the United
States included – and its very existence rankled
racist sensibilities globally.
Thus Haiti – tiny, impoverished and all alone in
a hostile world – had little choice but to accede to
France’s reparation demands, which were
delivered to Port-au-Prince by a fleet of heavily
armed warships in 1825. 84
https://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2017/12/06/in-1825-haiti-gained-independence-from-france-for-21-billion-its-time-for-france-to-pay-it-back/?sh=145beb7f312b
 The cost of independence
The Brazilian case: 7 de setembro de 1822: “Independence or Death!”

Painting by Pedro Americo 66 years after independence (1888). 85

 The cost of independence
1822 - Son of Portuguese king declares
independence from Portugal and crowns himself
Peter I (Don Pedro I), Emperor of Brazil.

Britain and Portugal recognized Brazilian

independence by signing a treaty on August 29,
1825. Until then, the Brazilians feared that Portugal
would resume its attack.
Portuguese retribution, however, came in a
financial form. Secret codicils of the treaty with
Portugal required that Brazil assume payment of
1.4 million pounds sterling owed to Britain and
compensate Dom João VI and other Portuguese for
losses totaling 600,000 pounds sterling.
86
http://countrystudies.us/brazil/11.htm
 Brief History – The legacy of Colonization

The former LAC colonies specialized in:

• extraction and export of natural resources
• production and export of raw agricultural commodities.

This was the legacy of colonization and it left them

unable to compete with the fast
industrializing nations.
87
 Brief History – The legacy of Colonization
• The former colonies were important to the growth and
development of the industrialized world but suffered from
unfavorable terms of trade.

• The elites did not focus on building out the infrastructure or the
institutions in the newly independent states to allow for more
effective participation in a rapidly changing global economy.

• They certainly did not focus on correcting the social inequities

that existed internally. 88
Thank you!

Questions?

89