The Concept of Injustice in Latin America - Research Paper Example

Latin American politics since independence have been characterized by instability, itarianism and violence. For example, certain habits of labour militancy had been introduced to Latin America from Europe and the US during the early twentieth century. Worker groups composed of dockers, and miners found that their capacity to stop the flow of exports gave them considerable leverage. The first strikes provoked harsh repressive measures but, in the latter years, these were managed through establishing official trade unions, arbitrated pay settlements, minimum wages laws, job security, and social welfare benefits for those workers who had political influence.

Trade unions developed under government control in Mexico or Brazil, were managed at the price of ntially increased labour costs which had led employers to adopt capital-intensive, production methods. (Ward, 2006). Specifically for Mexico, Argentina and Peru, the earning capability of the urban poor was held down by their limited talents and work skills, by the limited opportunities for higher paid formal sector work, and by competition from rural immigrants. The self-employed were subjected to political harassment.

Small-scale businesses were hampered by their suppliers, and they had to deal with tight credit. Job opportunities in industry were limited, and there was growth of employment in the service sector. Economic development had increased the demand for more service workers. The concept of injustice in Latin America had dealt with the various types of unfair, discriminatory and injurious treatment suffered by the poor in the region. This concept involves a study of the different structures, practices and relationships that involve the subordination, domination, persecution and repression of human beings through the use of violence and intimidation.

The Mexican revolution was spearheaded by Lazaro Cardena. Crdenas stated emphatically in a public address that the organization of workers and the organization of peasants were indispensable for the implementation of the laws of Mexico. He regarded organized labor as a superior force which can definitely provide the resistance that had opposed the economic upliftment of the Mexican people. However, Crdenas and his chief labor lieutenant, Lombardo Toledano, had different views on whether workers should unite to form producer co-operatives.

The leadership of the central labor federation was open to a mixed form of industrial administration which gave a voice to the state and the consumers. Cardenas had also presented his position at Monterrey in which his speech contained his Fourteen Points. He had advocated the principle that an industry that could only survive on low wages, sweatshop conditions, and evasion of labor laws had no right to live. He had suggested the establishment of worker cooperatives. Peru was managed by a special military junta led by Division General Juan Velasco Alvarado, who was then the general commander of the army and chairman of the joint military command at the time of the coup.

He was named president of the republic after the Revolutionary Junta gained full control of the government. The October 3 coup was planned by generals and colonels who desired to start a "revolution" that would end the historical predominance of foreign economic interests and the local oligarchy in the political and economic life of the nation. The new regime issued a manifesto in which it sought to reverse the unjust social and economic order which puts the national wealth within the reach of the privileged few, while the majority had suffered poverty.

Many Peruvian entrepreneurs had complained that the nation's most profitable businesses were owned and monopolized by the foreigners. To address this problem, the military had implemented expropriations which were aimed to limit or remove foreign participation in agriculture, services, banking, telecommunications, and the marketing of petroleum and minerals. Thus, Latin American countries had faced a myriad of political and social challenges that address basic human rights issues. They had to contend with foreign domination of their economic and political structures.

However, these countries will need to face these problems and solve them with varying degrees of success. References Thomas E. Skidmore and Peter H. Smith. 2005. Modern Latin America. New York, NY:Oxford University Press. Ward, John. 2004. Latin America: Development and Conflict since 1945.London: Routledge. Skidmore, Thomas E. and Peter H. Smith. "Modern Latin America" 6th edition