Tooting Carmen's list of relatively benign dictators

[El_Jibaro]

I mostly agree, but just to point out that, notwithstanding certain instances such as the War of the Triple Alliance, Latin America has had far fewer wars between countries (civil wars are another matter, of course) than have most other continents, including Europe itself.

That is true, but the war of the triple alliance was an absolute bloodbath! Paraguayans fought against much superior forces with remarkable bravery to the point that a whole generation of men was lost. Even "on the other side" were other times, in the war the children of almost all Argentine politicians fought and many died there. Even having the possibility of paying for a replacement (the system of "enganches" of foreigners), they preferred to fight personally in a cause that they considered just.

Well, the war was indeed an immense Masonic staging, resulting in outright genocide. Government of the whites in Uruguay, revolution of the colorados supported by the Brazilian Empire that invades the country, Paraguay that says that this distorts the balance in the Río de la Plata and considers it "casus belli" because it definitely affects its economy; But to go to Uruguay, it has to enter the Corrientes Argentina area, and that is "casus belli" for the latter, and behind a secret pact sponsored by Great Britain between the allies to dry up Paraguay. In any case, Solano was a bad strategist, first declaring war on the two powers.

One million dead. Little ones fighting with their wooden rifle.

Qué asco.

[Tooting Carmen]

That is true, but the war of the triple alliance was an absolute bloodbath! Paraguayans fought against much superior forces with remarkable bravery to the point that a whole generation of men was lost. Even "on the other side" were other times, in the war the children of almost all Argentine politicians fought and many died there. Even having the possibility of paying for a replacement (the system of "enganches" of foreigners), they preferred to fight personally in a cause that they considered just.

Well, the war was indeed an immense Masonic staging, resulting in outright genocide. Government of the whites in Uruguay, revolution of the colorados supported by the Brazilian Empire that invades the country, Paraguay that says that this distorts the balance in the Río de la Plata and considers it "casus belli" because it definitely affects its economy; But to go to Uruguay, it has to enter the Corrientes Argentina area, and that is "casus belli" for the latter, and behind a secret pact sponsored by Great Britain between the allies to dry up Paraguay. In any case, Solano was a bad strategist, first declaring war on the two powers.

One million dead. Little ones fighting with their wooden rifle.

Qué asco.

Well either way, what I was trying to say was that the various LATAM nations are not so antagonistic towards each other as you claimed, and instead are more riven with internal strife and division.

[El_Jibaro]

Well either way, what I was trying to say was that the various LATAM nations are not so antagonistic towards each other as you claimed, and instead are more riven with internal strife and division.

Yeah, I got what you meant. Although my point is that it is easier for outside powers to manipulate 18 insignificant nations than four or five grand ones.

[Tooting Carmen]

What about Franco, Tooting? Or is he too unpalatable to your tastebuds?

Insofar as Spain had a relatively benign dictator in the 20th century, it wasn't him but Miguel Primo de Rivera.

[Nausevar]

Tito brutally got rid of his rivals in communist Party after split with Stalin too, ordering their executions and sending them to prison camps where few returned from.
But yes, most of killings he ordered were after the war ended.

Tito also ordered, or supported, the executions of many Yugoslav communists in Russia during the 1930s, especially during the great purges (1936, 1937). Just few days ago I was reading some bios of Yugoslav communists and it was amazing how much infighting was going on. I was also impressed by how popular communism was immediately after WWI in many european countries.

[Harkonnen]

UKK

[Tooting Carmen]

Insofar as Spain had a relatively benign dictator in the 20th century, it wasn't him but Miguel Primo de Rivera.

I should have included him in the OP. Apart from a few intellectuals like Miguel de Unamuno going into exile in Paris, human rights abuses were very minor and he kept Spain stable and prosperous.

[alnortedelsur]

You should add Marcos Perez Jimenez, from Venezuela. There were more killings, missing people (desaparecidos), tortured, suspension of guarantees, and all kinds of human right violations during the the post Perezjimenista Venezuelan "democracy" (specially more during the first more than one decade of such "democracy") than during the military rule of Marcos Perez Jimenez.

[Tooting Carmen]

You should add Marcos Perez Jimenez, from Venezuela. There were more killings, missing people (desaparecidos), and tortured during the first period of the post Perezjimenista Venezuelan "democracy" than during the military rule of Marcos Perez Jimenez.

Would you say Perez Jimenez was similar to Peron? (With the added benefit of the oil industry, of course - which as far as I remember he nationalised).

[alnortedelsur]

Would you say Perez Jimenez was similar to Peron? (With the added benefit of the oil industry, of course - which as far as I remember he nationalised).

I need to to look more into Peron and his government (which all I know is that it was a very popular and nationalistic government), but I guess that kind of.