CASEY NIGHBOR

Nationalism is loyalty to one’s own country or in other words, patriotism. Nationalism in Argentina is growing or at least being advocated by the current president, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. Many analysts believe that this retreat into nationalist ideals has been prompted by the government’s failure to address the country’s current economic problems. According to the Telegraph, Fernandez has been “retreating into petty nationalism” and attacking foreign investments instead of owning up to their own failure to reboot the economy. This failure largely stems from Argentina’s notoriously corrupt government who have been hindering this once incredibly wealthy nation’s growth.

            This nationalism also stems from a political movement known as Nacionalismo that began in 1910 but took hold in the government around 1930. It advocated the return to Argentinean sentiments and that a core value of this was the rejection of secularism and acceptance of Roman Catholicism. While this movement is no longer in full swing, many believe that this movement still influences the government in Argentina. According to David Rock, author of Authoritarian Argentina, strong nationalist attitudes are still very present in contemporary Argentina because of this movement and it continues to have enormous influence over policy.

Zakaria talks about how the rise of nationalism means that nations are less likely to come together to solve problems that they both face. He also talks about how sub-nationalism, so the loyalty to things within your nation like tribes, religious groups, etc, are growing. This rise of sub-nationalism makes having meaningful national action very difficult.

In Argentina right now, I think there is a conflict between themselves and foreign nations. The crash of 2008 hit Argentina decently hard because their economy was closely linked to the dollar. However, they had the ability to bounce back and have but the government has continued to hinder the growth of the economy because of political corruption. Instead of fixing that or owning up to it, they have blamed foreign investors and markets as an act of self-defense. I also think there is a growing sub-national conflict between minority religions and Roman Catholics. Argentina claims to be a secular state but from the research I’ve seen, the Roman Catholic Church and its officials have huge influence in Argentina. This is also further complicated by the fact that current Pope, Francis, is from Argentina and was born in Buenos Ares. This coupled with the Nacionalismo movement that advocated the returned to a religious state leads me to believe that this also plays a role in Argentina’s nationalism.

Inequality seems to be a growing problem in Argentina. According the New York Times, Argentina largely criticized other South American nations for their large inequality gaps and often resembled Europe in their thoughts towards inequality. However, the reality after the crisis of 2008 is that Argentina has a widespread income inequality that the government is not effectively addressing. This inequality is a common problem in Latin America as developing economies like Brazil and Argentina as their wealth grows. According to the Economist, the government focuses more on taxing the wealthy and less on building infrastructure or providing services for the poor. The results of inequality are that poorer families are unable to build houses or develop land because mortgages or any sort of loan system doesn’t really exist. In Buenos Ares, gated communities are sandwiched next to “unofficial communities” run by gangs because the rich are the only ones able to afford land to build houses on since the government is failing to make it easier to develop any land. These communities also have things like barbed wire and armed guards, a clear sign of the rich trying to keep the poor out. According to an article published by The Guardian, a resident of one of these communities said "You can't see the poor here, that is part of the appeal." This difference in housing is a clear indication of the growing inequality in Argentina. 

Gated community with a fence on one side and slums on the other 

Overall, Argentina’s struggles with nationalism and inequality coupled with their widespread governmental corruption will make the coming election and the countries future very unpredictable.  This reality seems to be very common among developing nations, especially those in Latin America as they struggle to deal with the new problems that come with a growing economy.

--Casey Nighbor

Chile - Modern Day Struggles Surrounding Inequality and Nationalism

Nationalism is described as "advocacy for independence" in a certain place (in this case, country). Zakaria discusses the concept of nationalism and its surges and dips in intensity, which is hypothesized to have a correlation with the economic conditions of the country in question. While the notion of nationalism seems like a good thing in theory, Zakaria also claims that it can lead to unrest, because of its relationship with the economy.

The aftermath of a tsunami caused by an 8.3 magnitude earthquake struck early last week off the Western coast of Chile

Chile has been experiencing side effects of the nationalism surge lately, with both social unrest regarding abortion law, and natural disasters (tsunamis being the most recent factor). In addition, there is the long-standing conflict between "native Chileans" (the Mapuche tribe) and other citizens, over the ownership of land. Nationalism has been ever-present as the groups band together to rally for their rights. The intensity of these opposing sides can often lead to violence.

Mapuchan peoples rally for their rights over the ownership of land, most of which was annexed in the 1800s by other colonies. Since then, Mapuchan people have been forced out of their homes.

Inequality in Chile stems mostly from the aforementioned Mapuche tribe/ other citizen conflicts, as the rights to land have been debated for hundreds of years. The Mapuche tribe - although it makes up a sizable 1.5 million of Chile's 17.6 million - is discriminated against because of its disagreement with the general population about land ownership (much like Native Americans in the United States today). There has been some violence, but for the most part the inequality has led to discrimination lawsuits and general unfair treatment. In addition to domestic laws, many in the Mapuche tribe believe that this treatment is in major violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. At this point, it doesn't seem likely that a resolution is in the near future.

Peru: Nationalism & Inequalities

Nationalism is advocacy of independence in a particular country. A profound line from Zakaria, is "If we are to understand what the 'rise of the rest' means, we must understand just how long the rest has been dormant", creates an illustration of the struggle among citizens in distress. Because of increasing globalization, wars, movements, and other uproars occur more frequently. According to Zakaria nationalism rises in accordance with the economy, and the danger in the rise of nationalism is unrest. With financial security people are more likely to take risks. Security can be a driving factor in people who deep down wanted a change to act on it. South America, specifically, has seen nationalism through civil unrest and riots.

Peruvian Flag

Peru has a history of nationalism, specifically politically. The drive of the 2011 election was nationalism and populism. The push for the presidential campaign of Ollanta Humala was a promise for conservative change and value change as a nation. His message of “Peruvians First” appealed to the passionate citizens seeking change. However, there were vulgar aggressive quotes from his family members about horrible actions toward homosexuals in society. While they are passionate and seek change, this example shows that not all necessarily accept the terms of change. This example of nationalism can shift into a dictatorship quickly. Movements stem from a majority coming together that believe there are inequalities among their society.

Peruvian market with a thriving economy

Inequality is preset in Peru in a matter of instances. According to the Inter-American Development Bank, “Latin America is far more unequal than Asia, Africa and of course the post-industrial west”. Peru has had a long history of economic inequality between the lower and upper class. Recently, according to a Peruvian news source, the economic gap is slowly closing with reports that read, In 2012, more than 500,000 Peruvians were lifted out of poverty due to the social and economic policies of successive governments while the employment rate in Peru has been showing an upwards trend during the last years”. Inequality has played a crucial role in the economy in addition to racial inequalities. Peru has a longstanding history of racial inequalities toward African-Peruvians. While the issue is still present there are advocates working to put an end to the social discrimination. Rocío Muñoz, an equality activist in Peru, believes that the solution to the inequality gap is education. Munos stated, “The inequalities in access to education services later become inequalities in human capital, in access to labour markets, in the ability to generate wealth, and in general the ability to live a full and decent life within society.” While the inequalities are still evident, the activists fighting for a change make small differences. The inequalities are rooted deep in history. Because of these roots, the positive results people fight for are very hard to achieve.

Overall, nationalism is evident in Peru and other countries around the world. The spread of globalization through digital technologies has created a haven for communication. With the perseverance of the press and access to the Internet, movements are ignited. Nationalism has fought for inequalities in different regions across the world.

Samba

Dictionary.com Defines nationalism as "sprint or aspirations common to the whole of a nation." Brazil is internationally know for its samba, Which is a spiritual dance in Brazil.   It is lively dance. It is most popular during a holiday called "Carnival" Which is the period of time before Ash Wednesday.

Samba is as Brazilian to Brazil as country music is American to the United Sates. Below is a video.

Another aspect nationalism in Brazil is of course soccer (as they call it football). Their football is important to them just as much as American football is to the United States. Their team has won the World Cup five times. They also just recently hosted the FIFA World Cup 2014.

Sources: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/nationalism
http://dance.about.com/od/partnerdancestyles/qt/Samba.htm
http://www.celebratebrazil.com/samba-dance-brazil.html

Colombia and Venezuela Boarder Dispute

The Republic of Colombia, known as Colombia, is the gateway country between Central and South America.Spanish is the native and main language spoken within this small county and is surrounded by Spanish speaking countries. Located in Northern South America that boarders the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, Columbia is the only South American country that contains coastlines on the North Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea. Colombia contains about 1 million square km. 

Tensions between Colombia and Venezuela has increased over the result of Venezuela closing boarder crossings to and from Colombia. The Venezuelan President Maduro chose to close down the boarder crossings due to an anti-smuggling operation that left three Venezuelan soldiers and one civilian injured on August 19. In addition, President Madura sent soldiers to conduct warrant-less search to deport Colombians staying on the Venezuelan side illegally. Finally on August 26, the Venezuelan and Colombian foreign ministers meet in Cartagena to talk about the issue. The result of this meeting was that both countries, Colombia and Venezuela, recalled their ambassadors. Finally, Venezuelan Vice President allowed Venezuelan children studying in Colombia cross the border. Currently, the two countries administrations are trying to work together to resolve this but nothing has been resolved. 

Deported Colombians prepare to board a bus from Venezuela

The boarder conflict hasn't only effected administrator relations but has largely made an economic impact. It has been estimated that the area has lost roughly 60 million in the first 20 days of the conflict. Venezuelans were preparing for tourist season that usually Colombian tourists account for 60 percent of tourists on the weekends. 

Venezuela is Colombia's fourth largest place that exports their products too. The border closings has hindered trade and jobs since trading provides roughly 50,000 jobs directly and 250,000 jobs indirectly. 

As of September 11, United Nations representative, Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon, has offered his services to help if both countries want it. Colombia has been a member of the United Nations (UN) since 1945. 

Hopefully, both administrations will be able to resolve the issue and open the boarder crossings back up soon. This conflict has effected economic and political tensions in such a short time that making this last for much longer will only make the tensions stronger between these two countries. 

Peru Awaiting Tragedy

        Peru’s beauty and historical significance draws in many travelers.  Incan history seems frozen in time when exploring Machu Picchu.  World travelers visit Peru in search of the Sacred Valley to the Cathedral of Lima, and all the way to Paracas National Reserve.  Peruvians depend on tourism to positively impact their economy.  Weather permitting; Peru is the beautiful adventure most travelers desire.  The country has a diverse climate, which can affect crops, landmasses, and housing structures.  El Nino is a storm, named by Peruvian sailors in the 1800s that occurs ever two to seven years and spans for roughly nine months to two years.

            El Nino is a series of extreme weather changes due to the warming of the Pacific Ocean.  This extended warming can cause heavy rains, massive floods, and heavy winds.  Due to varying conditions, the fear of this storm is physical survival and financial survival.  Crops and commodities that normally would be thriving can be destroyed quickly.  This causes Peruvians to find other sources of income to meet their otherwise normally flourishing crops.

A diagram about the beginnings of El Nino, and the difference to normal conditions.

After the 1998 El Nino, a Peruvian woman is looking through rubble for her belongings.

The Dakar Rally 

In the past, El Nino has caused disaster in Peru.  In 1998 a mudslide occurred that put many Peruvians at risk.  The Economist stated, It ended up costing around $35 billion in destruction and there were 23,000 dead from the impact around the world.  According to CNN, "Workers digging a canal to divert water from a river swollen with El Nino rains were luck to escape with their lives after a mudslide swept through their worksite, authorities said" The last time the catastrophe hit there were heavy rains, extreme, flooding, and recurring mudslides.  The fear of this disaster happening again haunts the locals.

El Nino is said to hit Peru this year, and is predicted to last until April of 2016.  While it’s said to hit Peru first, the whole world will be affected.  Although only minor signs have shown the severity of the upcoming storm, Peruvians are getting ready.  According to The Japan Times, “And then there’s the flooding. Peru declared a pre-emptive state of emergency this month for 14 of its 25 states, appropriating some $70 million to prepare. Hilopito Cruchaga, the Civil Defense director in Peru’s northern region of Piura, said authorities are clearing riverbeds of debris, reinforcing riverbanks with rock and fortifying reservoir walls. Sandbags and rocks are also being piled up”.  According to BBC, Peru even cancelled the 2016 Dakar Rally, a bike and car racing competition,  because of the extreme expectations of the weather change.  They want to keep all emergency vehicles and workers ready for anything instead of working the event.  This alone, shows you the fear and anticipation Peruvians have toward the upcoming El Nino.

While California will most likely put an end their drought, Peru will be hit with rain, mudslides, and flooded with a mass amount of water.  Overall El Nino will create a very visible climate change for the world.  Specifically, Peru will take another large hit to their crops, economy, and land.  All are holding tight that the predictions are less than estimated to avoid another life changing event. 

Chile - Background and Current Events

(Map of Chile, courtesy Google Images)

Chile is a narrow strip of land on the far western side of South America. Its population is approximately 17.3 million, and it sprawls for about 270,000 square miles. Chile's geography is unique not only because of its shape, but also that most of it is surrounded by the Andes mountain range on one side, and ocean on the other. To the north is the driest desert on earth, the Atacama Desert. It also boasts the southernmost city in the world (Punta Arenas). (source:  infoplease.com)

Originally, Chile was ruled by native Inca and Araucano groups until Spain took over control. Chile finally declared independence from Spain in 1818 but then fell under the rule of dictator after dictator.

Today, the Chilean government is one of only 22 countries - as of 2014 - to have a democratically-elected female president (according to jjmmccullough.com), who is socialist. Not until recent years has Chile been under a somewhat Marxist government; corrupt dictatorships ultimately led to a series of government overthrows, which has eventually transformed it into the two-party system of government it is today.

Economically, Chile has close ties with Cuba, the People's Republic of China, the United States, and other neighboring countries. Its main exports are petroleum, chemicals and telecommunications equipment, industrial machinery, natural gas; paper products, and foods like fish and fruit. Notably, Chile entered a contract with the United States in 2004 to free up trading, appropriately called the United States - Chile Free Trade Agreement (FTA). (ustr.gov)

Culturally, football (soccer) is very popular. It is also rich in the arts, with an increasingly booming film industry; it's also home to several reputable writers. There is a big mixture of music, from traditional folk to modern pop.

Today, Chile faces a variety of economic and social issues. One of the most controversial topics right now is the debate concerning abortion laws. Chile is only one of six countries worldwide that outlaws termination of pregnancy in all cases (according to theguardian.com). President Michelle Bachlet made abortion law reform one of he main platforms when running for her second term of office in 2013, and the issue is becoming more and more talked about and challenged. A bill considering termination in exceptional cases went to congress in August. Abortion was legal in Chile up until 1989, when the Pinochet government ruled supreme.

(Women demonstrating for the advocation of abortion law reformation, August 2015 - Photo courtesy of The Guardian)

Chile is still technically considered a more conservative nation when it comes to government, due largely in part to the prominence of Catholicism and Christianity intertwined with political parties. However, things are changing:  This year, laws allowing gay marriage were passed, the nation is continuously developing a medical marijuana program, and an estimated 70% of Chilean citizens support abortion in specific circumstances.

In other recent news, Chile has been becoming more involved in the Syrian refugee crisis. According to recent reports, Chile has hosted over 100 families during the past few weeks. Latin American countries in general have been known to be gracious to immigrants and refugees in need, especially Chile.