LA Essay Research Paper OPEN VEINS OF

L.A Essay, Research Paper

OPEN VEINS OF LATIN AMERICA

Eduardo Galeano s Open Veins of Latin America looks at the political, economic and social history of Latin America. Mr. Galeano argues that the More Developed Countries played a main role in the Lesser Developed Country status Latin America has been accustomed to. Throughout the book he gives examples of how the M.D.C are responsible for the social hierarchy that has formed over generations. This hierarchy sees the peasants, who assemble the population, of this agriculturally abundant land starving while the few acquire riches and control the destiny of the land and its people. Galeano takes you through the history of Latin America from the discovery of this great land by Christopher Columbus to the 1970 s. He will argue that the riches of the land have bonded the people of the America s to poverty and suffering.

The invasion of Latin America first began with Spain and Portugal in the 1500 s, than gave way to Britain in the 1800 s and finally ended in the hands of the United States in the 20th Century. Its has seen political and economic power concentrated in a few, instituted by the ones that colonized, that do not have the peoples best wishes in mind. Instead, their main goal was to acquire riches for themselves and more importantly for their country. Spain was the first to plague Latin America. They did not colonize to help the indigenous people increase their standard of living; instead they colonized to plunder the land of its natural riches to be exported back to Spain and pushed the native population into an era of oppression. It first started with the extortion of the natural minerals that were so abundant throughout Latin America and the enslavement of its native population. That eventually opened the doors for sugar, cotton, coffee, and other agriculturally grown products to be harvested and exported. The lands of Latin America have served the purposes of other countries since first contact by the Europeans. Nothing was produced or mined if it did not benefit its conquerors, the land was being raped of its raw materials so other nations could sustain their vanity status and wage war against any that would oppose them. Latin Americans did not benefit from the riches of its own lands. A tyrant is one who rules with his/her best wishes in mind and looks upon the people as a means of obtaining the ends. Latin America has been controlled by tyrants who in their own countries advocate democracy and freedom but overseas rule with hands coated with the people s blood. Latin America has given the most and has the least. Galeano states that conquerors justify their actions by implying that they bring economic prosperity to a land without. This is true but the prosperity has never benefited the land which gives it and only the land the takes it. The Spanish and Portuguese main objective was to accumulate wealth and they did just that, Latin America was looked upon as a clay piggy bank, they shattered it and took everything that was inside. The crown to destroy Latin America has passed through Britain who did the same and finally to the United States. But the United States do not control L.A by traditional means; they control the countries finances and thus control the country. U.S capital is more tightly concentrated in Latin America than in the United States itself. (Galeano, Eduardo, 1971: 208) The U.S has big corporations in place, which thrive on raw materials and have no need to produce secondary products that would benefit the country. Latin America has been caught, tamed and harnessed; slowly withering away in a cage made of gold. Galeano defends his arguments by paying close attention to detail, detail of the countries history, of the peoples suffering and gives detailed accounts of what colonization has resulted in. He takes an historians perspective, covering the important events that have led to the present day condition of Latin America. He illustrates a picture of bloodshed by the indigenous people due to forced labor, and he tells how conquerors enriched their countries because of the raw material L.A gave birth to. L.A is not an independent entity; it exports raw materials and imports secondary products and falls in the economic market when these raw materials fall in value. From the beginning the majority of the people have been abused, they know no other way, power has been concentrated in the few that manipulate it for their own benefit and have no vision for the country. What can the people do when the ones that rule don t care for them. Political and economic instability were the gifts from across the seas. His argument can be summed up by saying, Latin America would not be a L.D.C if it were let free to grow without outside influence in a natural state just like it s conquerors were free to do. Instead their greed destroyed a land and its people. When the first conquerors left, they planted a seed that grew into two plants in the minds of the people, it blossomed to teach them you must oppress to win, to gain wealth. It blossomed to teach them this is the way it is supposed to be; we must be poor for them to be rich.

Galeano puts forth an argument that has been banned in the country that it was intended to help. Yes, I am convinced by Galeano s argument. His theories condemn the M.D.C, and persecute the political powers in Latin America. If a book takes the angle his has taken and e