5. Caudillos Versus the Nation State

To me, this weeks readings painted a dark and chaotic picture of the post-independence era in Latin America. After gaining independence from their colonizers, Latin America continued to struggle with wars and conflicts of all sorts. Central authority resulted extremely difficult for a number of reasons. For example, territories were large and people lived far away from each other, and institutions, such as the church, had lost its authority over the people. Caudillos were then figures who entered the space of power. They were able to defend their interests to the state, often through immense violence. Conflicts normally emerged between the peasants and the liberal elites, where the caudillos stood in between, defending the disadvantaged. 

I found it quite interesting that liberalism, in which we so profoundly believe in the West, was seen as something rather unwelcome. I think caudillaje was attractive because they were mostly local people, with lot's of charisma and they were concerned with the needs of the people. On the other hand, liberalism was something imposed from the outside, as seen in the lecture, it didn't really match with the spirit of the region at that time. Therefore, people would rather opt for the protection and safety provided by clientelism than receive the new ideology imposed by their former colonizers. 

I found "The Slaughterhouse" interesting. I didn't personally understand how the "backwards" were sympathized in the story. First it was described how they suffered from hunger and how the church imposed unjustified power onto the people. Then they slaughter tons of animals and a boy gets killed, and finally they kill an English man after humiliating him. I thought that it was some kind of a metaphor of how the elites treated the people on the countryside like animals, and then how ruthless the people of the countryside were as well when they had the chance. This might be a misreading of it but this was my impression. However, the picture that is painted in the story is extremely violent and brutal. 


Question: Do you think the violence in "The Slaughterhouse" & by the caudillos was justified? Why? 

 




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