Citizens of the USA, in general, have absolutely no comprehension of the machinations and history of the nation states of our continental neighbors to the south in Southern America. Sadly our “news media” has not provided a sustained level of actual journalism since Benjamin Franklin’s newspaper; the Pennsylvania Gazette. While Venezuela and Colombia are only 1,200 miles south of the bottom of Florida we rarely hear a peep about them in our news reports. Venezuela is starving its people, utilizing radical gorilla fighters, and is teetering on the edge of collapse. They are rife with radical social Marxists, communists, Middle Eastern terror groups, and drug cartels. They sneak millions of tons of illicit drugs, worth billions of dollars into the USA every year. They kidnap tourists for ransom and are heavily involved in human trafficking. Finally, with ties to China and Russia, they have substantial arsenals including weapons, some from the USA, which could rain devastation down on the continental USA with less than an hour’s warning.
The US Navy’s 4th Fleet and a US Marine Expeditionary Force is quartered in Miami. It is severely underfunded and depleted. The potential forces that could be encountered are some of the most hardened, jungle fighting, communist, forces in the world. ELN in Colombia is rated to have the 39th most powerful military in the world. Adding to the challenge, the level of failure and turmoil in Venezuela and Colombia is so great that soon we may be forced into some type of militarily intervention. Understanding the complexities of the situation is crucial for a positive outcome.
Uruguay, like Paraguay, is "wedged" politically and economically, between Argentina and Brazil, whose political influence and financial power heavily determines the fates of Uruguay and Paraguay's national sovereignty and interests. The USA spans its continent unbroken or divided. These two small nations suffer like a small boat in the water as a large ship passes by, battered and tossed in the larger ship's wake. Their neighbors mistreat them through unfair trade agreements and the oligarchy tampering with elections, business, and much, much more.
It is my hope to provide you with a unique perspective regarding the history that makes up Uruguay and its people's perspectives today. The insights below are not from a citizen of the USA but written by a lifelong Uruguayan. I believe that it lends an interesting perspective from a native, regarding socialism, communism, democratic values, and their perspective regarding the USA and others. I present a concise “History of Uruguay” as told by an Anon and lifelong Uruguayan on 8chan.net unedited.
The original source material is presented for educational purposes. To read the original with photos click here.
02/11/18 (Sun) 17:45:52 No.2392235[Watch Thread]
For the purpose of telling the story of Socialism in the Southern Cone (Uruguay, Argentina and kind of a bit of Brazil) I will tell ya'll the story of my people. The 'Uruguayan' people, or as the people's history would rather call it, the tale of the Easterners (Orientales)
Once upon a time, in 1810, there was a man, called Artigas, who dreamed of a free nation, modeled after the United States, but a bunch of Buenos Aires Oligarchs wouldn't let him.
So, he made a coalition with the governors of like-minded provinces and created the League of Free Peoples in opposition to the triumvirate of Buenos Aires, which made its own coalition, based around the Congress of Tucuman.
And so, both coalitions of provinces battled, until 1820, when ironically the Artigas faction won, but left Artigas to fend for himself in the Eastern land (modern Uruguay) to a Portuguese invasion, which eventually forced him to retreat into exile in Paraguay, where he died in 1850.
In 1825, the Eastern land successfully revolted against the newly independent Brazil and began a second war of independence that had the country initially side itself with a motley crew of Argentinian warlords headed by Buenos Aires.
After a series of victories in the Eastern land proper the Argentinian-Easterner army eventually found itself in a war of stagnation against the empire of Brazil that it couldn't possibly win, forcing both sides to the mediation of the British Empire, which agreed to making the Eastern land independent from both Argentina and Brazil. But under a system where both governments would approve its constitution and keep a right to intervening in its politics.
By the way, Eastern land is a translation I came up with, since Banda Oriental literally means Eastern Strip land or some shit, and it sounds dumb and hard to relate with.
By 1830, the new country that was created in the eastern land from what was left of Artigas ancient state was made independent, had its first constitution approved (by the foreign powers) and its first president sworn in (presidents were elected by the landed gentry, soldiers couldn't vote, nor farmhands, nor anyone who didn't have a certain amount of wealth and power, making the country essentially an oligarchy as opposed to Artigas vision)
The first president, Fructuoso Rivera (an old ally of Artigas and lieutenant) eventually left in 1935 and was succeeded by Manuel Oribe (another lieutenant of Artigas and a freemason) And so, began the era of instability in the newly born State East of Uruguay…
Rivera never relinquished his post of overall commander of the army, and Oribe never forced him out, and so, both leaders began a standoff that lasted about an year, until Rivera revolted against Oribe, and got his ass defeated by him initially, in the Battle of Carpinteria.
This battle would have unforeseen consequences in Uruguayan history… as it would be the first battle where both of the fighting forces would use the old bandanas that would go on to fight for another hundred years. The Colorado (Red) bandana and the Blanco (White) bandana.
The Colorados would be the Party of Rivera, and the Blancos (self-proclaimed as the party of the Laws, i.e.: of the government of Oribe) the party of Oribe
For the next hundred years, both parties, would fight on, and on in numerous civil wars.
Beginning with the Great War of the River Plata, followed by the War of the Triple Alliance begun by Venancio Flores, then the Revolt of the Lances of Timoteo Aparicio, then with an interregnum of military dictatorships by the Colorados, then followed by even more civil wars begun by the Blancos led by Aparicio Saravia (who by then had forgotten why the wars begun to begin with and began fighting for electoral rights).
With the death of Aparicio Saravia in 1904, the Colorados finally were able to quell the countryside, but not without finally giving an inch and giving the Blancos what they really wanting, a measure of justice, electoral rights, and participation in Government
And thus, started what can be called the golden era of Uruguayan history, the 50 years of progress that began with Battle y Ordoñez administration (Colorado) who was so progressive by South American standards, that even some socialists (who initially were part of his party) even asked him to join them, an offer he rejected.
By 1950 though, the signs of new problems began rising in the horizon, as the world wars that had given the country much of its wealth (due to the country being a huge source of foodstuffs for the allied powers) began to dry
Syndicates, Trade Unions and social movements began to rise up. The Blancos (now called the National Party) won in 1958 and ruled until 1966, when the Colorados came back to power.
During the 60s an urban guerrilla took up arms, called the MLN-T (Movimiento de Liberacion Nacional - Tupamaros) alongside with the anarchist group OPR33
By 1971, a constitutional crisis began, as the military backed Pacheco Areco began a campaign for his re-election that led the more progressive members of his Colorado Party to leave the party and begin what's known as the Frente Amplio (Broad Front) with the help of the Revolutionary Left in Uruguay
In the 1971 election, with the help of the Brazilians (as attested by unclassified CIA documents), Pacheco Areco had the elections rigged and prevented the victory of the Blanco Wilson Ferreira Aldunate (who although being part of the Blanco Party was aligned more closely with the Frente Amplio and even copied their programme in some key parts)
Pacheco Areco was prevented from re-election due to losing a constitutional referendum during the election, resulting in the election Juan Maria Bordaberry, his vice-president… a name not soon to be forgotten
During the heyday of the guerrilla, at the start of the 70s, they were able to break out of prison through a hole in the walls. However, Bordaberry with the help of the 'reforms' made by Pacheco Areco in his previous government had the military take over the duties of the police and created the joint security forces. These forces hunted down the guerrilla and imprisoned them within 3 months.
During this time the Joint Forces, greedy for power began plotting to take over the government. In February of 1973, the Navy (Armada) took their forces to the streets to defend the constitutionality of the presidency, but weren't heard by the President, who gave up to the military.
In June of 1973, Bordaberry had the Parliament closed down and the Military-Civilian 'Process' (dictatorship) began.
Initially, the Frente Amplio hoped for a left-wing military coup, but after their leaders began being jailed, they began a general strike which had no much success and began either leaving the country (the richer ones), being jailed (the less powerful and more revolutionary of them) or being denied jobs in the country (the middle of both worlds and worst at all)
By 1985 the military dictatorship found itself out of time, money and support, thus it sought a way out.
'Thanks' to the Pact of the Naval Club, both Wilson Ferreira (Blanco) and Seregni (Ex-Colorado and Frente Amplist) were kept out of the election rolls, thus helping the Colorados to win.
After the elections both were let out of prison and they began a campaign to have the military leaders tried for their crimes during the dictatorship. But the political forces of the country eventually succeeded in convincing Wilson that democracy would only go on if the military were absolved of their crimes through a law. The law of the Caducity of the State's Pretension of Punity (more or less the translation of its name) which left the military out of jail
In the 1990s, the Blancos first (under the conservative Blanco, Luis Lacalle) and the Colorados after (under Sanguinetti) did neoliberal 'reforms' that fucked the country further and tried privatizing several state companies, with limited success.
By 1996, both parties had exhausted themselves and sought a pact to keep the Frente Amplio out of power, which they managed to, by adding the presidential ballotage to the constitution, thus winning against the Frente Amplio in a 51 vs 49 margin in 1999
This was not to pass for long though, as Jorge Batlle (grand-grandson of Batlle y Ordoñez) led a coalition government of Colorados and Blancos that went through a major crisis, the 2002 crisis, during which a large number of Uruguayans went bankrupt and some event fled the country as the banks crashed
In 2004 the Frente Amplio, led by Tabaré Vazquez won the presidential election in the first round of elections with 51% of the vote, thus circumventing the ballotage
The Frente Amplio after entering government, tried to deal with both Blancos and Colorados by giving them key ministries, but after both parties began trying to jacole them for posts, the Frente Amplio finished the negotiations and told them off, thus forming government on its own
The economy which had been recovering since 2003, boomed throughout 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009, thus resulting in the election of a second Frente Amplio government, led by former guerrilla José Mujica who promised to lead the country left.
A promise he didn't deliver, as his presidency was a roller coaster of promises, rambling incoherence and a chronic case of overinflated expectations but overall the economy did fine
Thus Tabaré Vazquez got re-elected in 2014, and so began Vazquez 2.0 the electric bugaloo of strikes, incoherent promises half-way delivered that nobody cared about (national system for caring of the elderly, tablets for the elderly and the list goes on)
I have to take a while out, so feel free to comment on what I've written so far
Currently the country's politics are dominated by the Frente Amplio (which is allegedly left wing, but is in reality in bed with big agricultural, transport and pulp mill companies) and has 50 diputados out of 99(representatives in Uruguayan parlance), 15 senators out of 30 (plus the vice president which counts as one extra, thus 16/31)
The National (Blanco) Party which has 30 diputados and has 10 senators, which counts as right of center, pro-capitalist party
The Colorado Party which has around 13 diputados and 3 senators, which used to be the party of government and is now a regular liberal party
The Independent Party which is a 'radical' centrist party, left of center, 3 diputados and 1 senator
The Popular Unity which has only 1 diputado and is revolutionary left and has MLM folks as well as ML
And finally there's the Radical Ecologists, who have no diputados (almost got one, and almost surely will get 1 next elections in 2019), as well as the Trotskysts who have barely 6k votes, in a country where you need 20 or so thousand votes to get a diputado
