Great South American Leaders

[Chilean Presidentâ„¢]

Which ones will be the most remembred leaders of South America. Saint or Evil...

From Chile I have to put on the list:
1. O'Higgins our great first Supreme Governor.
2. The Carrera Brothers, who fought with General OHiggins in the Independece War.
3. President Alessandri who start the reforms that brings Chile out from the under development.
4. President Salvador Allende. A conflictive man. The first comunist free elected on the western hemisphere. He nationalize the Copper Chilean Industry, but also destroy the economy with his "people´s reforms".
5. Supreme Chief of the Nation General Augusto Pinochet. Save us from a comunist totalitarian state and save the chilean economy. However under his regime 3.000 chileans dies or dissapear.
6. Chilean President... great leader

[Alfonsus72]

I guess a very representative caracter of South America history (in the bad side) was Francisco Solano López, president of Paraguay, that let his country enter in a war that killed 75% of its population.
He represents the dreams of greatness cruelly beaten back by reality, a constant in South America countries from their independence (and even before) and posibly and heritage of spanish character.

[Dr. Nick]

For Argentina- can't speak for anywhere else accurately.

Presidentes Historicos (Bartolomé Mitre/Domingo Faustino Sarmiento/Nicolas Avellaneda)- First federal presidents of the whole nation, unified after a bloody 30 years civil war. Their economic, educational and military reforms paved the way for a unified Argentina and the creation of a strong central government.

Julio Argentino Roca- He ruled after Avellaneda and he laid the foundations for the growth and progress of the Argentine economy and is credited with leading Argentina to its 1914 status as 6th economic world power. He also added the Patagonia to our to our territories.

Roque Saenz Peña- Sufragio Secreto, Universal y Obligatorio. Need I say more?

Hipolito Yrigoyen- Nationalised petroleum, first truly democratically elected president. He ruled for the worker, providing lots of jobs in the national bureaucracy. He was the first man to think in the workers.

More to come later, hard pressed for time.

[Dr. Nick]

To be honest, Solano Lopez can't be blamed. I'll expand later.

[kIndal]

Oupppsss.

Double posting.

[kIndal]

What´s about José Mart�?

I always have thought that if haven´t died so young he could be became a important South American politic.

[Fiera]

Can't we extend this to México as well?

Viva Zapata! Viva Pancho Villa!

[Chilean Presidentâ„¢]

Fco. Solano Lopez was a bizzard man. He believes that Paraguay has the destiny to become the south american image of the France of Napoleon. He must have a lot of courage (or be really mad) to fight a war against the Triple Alianza (Argentina - Brasil - Uruguay). The country was almost destroyed, however when he died in the battle of Cerro Corá in 1870 he became a heroic figure for the paraguayans who remember him until now for his courage and not for his madness.

Abouth MartÃ, I dont believe that he would be a great south american politic for two reasons. First of all, he was a caribean
and second, more than a politic man or an army man, he was a rebeld and a writer. Marti's weapons where his writed words, thats all. He never lead a important group of people or do anything like that. However he was the most recognizible face of the cuban will of freedom.

Do you know the senator a minister of several chilean administrations Diego Portales?

[Jay Bee]

Originally posted by kIndal
What´s about José Mart�?

I always have thought that if haven´t died so young he could be became a important South American politic.

Hey, I had already said that on another thread!
Be as it may Presi, Marti had the integrity that most other Latin American and Spanish leaders never even suspected it could exist.

[Jay Bee]

Originally posted by Fiera
Can't we extend this to México as well?

Viva Zapata! Viva Pancho Villa!

Yes, Mexico is something so special at least for me Talking about "aprovechateguis", what can you tell me about Agustin de Iturbide? Nice guy.

[Dr. Nick]

Francisco Solano Lopez was a good leader... you can compare him to, say, Hitler.

Paraguay was the most emergent economy in Latin America around 1860. It was industrialising through the purchase of capital goods and becoming an important centre of manufacture for the local market at least. Paraguay was prospering.

The Guerra del Paraguay was caused due to the rivalry in Uruguay. The Blancos and Colorados were constantly squabbling. The point is that Brazil favored one side, Paraguay the other. When the side that Paraguay favored gained power, the Brazilians invaded to restore their supporters, whilst the party supported by Brazil trained its army in Corrientes, Argentina. Paraguay then declared war on Brazil and Uruguay and asked for permission to move through Corrientes, as Argentina immediately declared itself neutral. Unable to assist Uruguay, Solano Lopez had one of two things to do:

1) Declare war on Argentina and march through Corrientes to attack Uruguay.
2) Sit on his thumb.

He was pressured to opt for declaring war because it was evident that Brazil and Argentina were allied and that Argentina would intercede in the future and attack, if Paraguay dealt the first blow perhaps they'd manage to keep Argentina at bay. But Paraguay saw itself against a manpower that overwhelmed her as well as being cut off the main trade routes with Europe. Unable to purchase guns, materiel, and unable to manufacture it as well, they were fighting a loosing war from the beginning. When the second front was opened the end would come. But the Paraguayans, despite all these problems, managed to keep it going for 5 years, from 1865 till 1870 and it wasn't till Solano Lopez was brutally murdered by Brazilian troops in Cerro Corá that the war ended.

Solano Lopez acted out of his own nobility and to save face of him and his nation. When Brazil and Argentina threw mud in his face, he couldn't just wipe it off, smile, and pretend that nothing had happened. However, this war saw the glorious resistance of the pueblo Paraguayo, as almost 95% of all able bodied men were killed in the war. We were told that after the war, there were so few men in contrast with women that polygamy was allowed.

[Dr. Nick]

I'd like to add Peron to the Argentine leader list. He brought about a revolution in political thought at the time and rebuilt the economy. Despite my hatred for him and what he represents as a corrupted "milico", I must admit he did a lot for the country and it's peoples.

From there, I must add Arturo Humberto Illia and Frondizi. They both tried to keep the militares in check, both strengthened the economy and led the nation through trying times when an unhappy military could mean Martin Garcia for them the next day.

[Chilean Presidentâ„¢]

Iturbide create the Iturbide Empire in Mexico and Central America right?

[Alfonsus72]

Originally posted by El Awrence

Paraguay was the most emergent economy in Latin America around 1860. It was industrialising through the purchase of capital goods and becoming an important centre of manufacture for the local market at least. Paraguay was prospering.

I thought that Paraguay was, lets say, "prospering", cause Solano Lopez, in the way to his imperial dream, builded iron works and magazines to serve to his army. He changed butter for cannons, and in fact he was leading the country to a war economy and to a total mobilization of national resource, which only end could be a terrible war against his neighbours.

Instead of secure the navigation among the Plata River and produce trade goods, servign as moderator beetween Brasil and Argentina (whose relationship was bad), Solano made Paraguay and enemy of both of them. The Uruguay (which later will also declare war to Paraguay) affair was only an excuse to test the was machine he created.

[Jay Bee]

Originally posted by Chilean President
Iturbide create the Iturbide Empire in Mexico and Central America right?

Right, sire