Which decade was worse for human rights in Latin America: 70's or 80's?

[Johnny V]

I thought 1975 saw a new dictator emerge - Bermudez?

Yes. although in fact it established a return to democracy. when calling elections in 1980. where Fernando Belaunde Terry won
Although he is imprisoned for crimes against humanity.

[Latinus]

Military Ditactorship in Brazil is a heated debate on these political/ideological circles.

Some right wingers defend it, claiming it saved us from a communist takeover, while left wingers, or even neutral ones or other right wingers claim that there was never an attempt of João Goulart of implanting communism in Brazil.

Many older people miss that era, claiming it was safe and there was respect among kids and parents, kids and students.

But it's also a fact that the social inequality, income concentration, favelization... increased during that era.

[Thetruth]

I'd say it is a close call.

On the one hand, the 70's was the decade of Operation Condor, when six South American military dictatorships (principally Chile and Argentina, but also Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) assisted each other in hunting down dissidents both in each others' countries and further afield. During this time, Chile was alleged to be rivalled only by Maoist China and the Khmer Rouge's Cambodia in having the world's worst record for torture, Uruguay had the highest number of political prisoners in the world per capita, while Argentina led the way in terms of killings and disappearances.

On the other hand, the 80's saw the emergence of civil wars and dictatorships across Central America, as well as that of brutal drug cartels and guerrilla groups in Colombia and Peru, who insofar as they had a presence before this time, it was on a much smaller scale. The PRI in Mexico was also clinging on to power by ever-more dubious means, such as the 1982 Corpus Christi massacre and the 1988 presidential election where, just as the opposition candidate looked like winning, the vote-counting system 'mysteriously' broke down. Even Venezuela, still regarded as a relative success story, was increasingly worlds away from its glory days of the 70's.

The 80s and 90s were rough decades in Peru, terrorism in the Andes and a borderline dictatorship government under Fujimori. The people in the Andes country side had no chance, most were uneducated and poor at the hands of a government that didn’t care for them

[Tooting Carmen]

The 80s and 90s were rough decades in Peru, terrorism in the Andes and a borderline dictatorship government under Fujimori. The people in the Andes country side had no chance, most were uneducated and poor at the hands of a government that didn’t care for them

Yeah, I'd even go so far as saying that Fujimori was at least the equal of Chavez/Maduro in terms of human rights violations and disrespect for democracy (albeit from the opposite end of the political spectrum).

[Tooting Carmen]

Any more opinions?

[Tooting Carmen]

Military Ditactorship in Brazil is a heated debate on these political/ideological circles.

Some right wingers defend it, claiming it saved us from a communist takeover, while left wingers, or even neutral ones or other right wingers claim that there was never an attempt of João Goulart of implanting communism in Brazil.

Many older people miss that era, claiming it was safe and there was respect among kids and parents, kids and students.

But it's also a fact that the social inequality, income concentration, favelization... increased during that era.

Having read about Goulart's programme, he sounded like a fairly moderate social democrat who wanted to instigate a certain amount of land reform and bring a higher percentage of the Brazilian economy into government control (though very far off what a Communist would do).

[Latinus]

Having read about Goulart's programme, he sounded like a fairly moderate social democrat who wanted to instigate a certain amount of land reform and bring a higher percentage of the Brazilian economy into government control (though very far off what a Communist would do).

Some writings here claim that he wasn't a communist at all, and that whenever a Brazilian leader had a nationalist mindset not subservient to American interests, the reactionary portion of the elites, aligned to American interests, would instigate panic in the pop and create an imaginary enemy: in this case: a communist takeover., in order to not free Brazil's chain from American control.. and while the military ditactorship made us jump in the economic ladder, the cake wasn't well shared... the favelization of the southeast increased, many national companies were bought by American multinationals, increasing the dominance of the US in the Brazilian economy.

[Tooting Carmen]

Some writings here claim that he wasn't a communist at all, and that whenever a Brazilian leader had a nationalist mindset not subservient to American interests, the reactionary portion of the elites, aligned to American interests, would instigate panic in the pop and create an imaginary enemy: in this case: a communist takeover., in order to not free Brazil's chain from American control.. and while the military ditactorship made us jump in the economic ladder, the cake wasn't well shared... the favelization of the southeast increased, many national companies were bought by American multinationals, increasing the dominance of the US in the Brazilian economy.

May I ask if you supported Lula in the recent Presidential election?

[Latinus]

May I ask if you supported Lula in the recent Presidential election?

Honestly, I voted in Bolsonaro... but I voted in the automatic mode... I'm not a fan of both.

[Tooting Carmen]

Honestly, I voted in Bolsonaro... but I voted in the automatic mode... I'm not a fan of both.

For all his bombastic rhetoric, afaik Bolsonaro has done more than most to either sell-off or end Brazilian industry than most other presidents combined (Embraer, Petrobras etc).