Federal Republic of Central America - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
  • Kusimulkku@lemm.eeEnglish
    221·
    5 days ago

    It sounds like a bit of a shitshow even without US involvement

    The republic was politically unstable, experiencing civil wars, rebellions, and insurrections by liberals and conservatives. From 1827 to 1829, it fell into a civil war between conservatives who supported Arce and liberals who opposed him. Liberal politician Francisco Morazán led the liberals to victory, and was elected president in 1830. The republic descended into a second civil war from 1838 to 1840, by the end of which the states of Central America declared independence and the federal republic ceased to exist.

    Historians have attributed the country’s political instability to its federal system of government and its economic struggles. Agricultural exports were insufficient and the federal government was unable to repay its foreign loans, despite favorable terms. Central America’s economic troubles were caused in part by the federal government’s inability to collect taxes and inadequate interstate infrastructure.

      • Kusimulkku@lemm.eeEnglish
        2·
        4 days ago

        Nobody was arguing that colonialism didn’t play a part, even though the article does mention that the loans had pretty favourable terms.

        • jagged_circle@feddit.nlEnglish
          41·
          4 days ago

          Loans are exploitive by definition.

          What these countries need is reparations, a transfer of wealth from all that was stolen from them.

          • Kusimulkku@lemm.eeEnglish
            1·
            4 days ago

            I mean aren’t those countries made up by the former colonialists, they should probably be paying the og natives

      • Sergio@slrpnk.netEnglish
        8·
        4 days ago

        Yes, and I also think everybody should read more history. There are a lot of lessons in Latin American history for US citizens as well.

        • roofuskit@lemmy.worldEnglish
          4·
          4 days ago

          The US had a very similar struggle with a weak Federal government, an inability to tax, and high debts when it was first formed. The early government went through very drastic changes to become what we have today.

          Of course it wasn’t that far back in history at the time this central American government was going through the same exact problems. Those changes came to the US in the late 1780s. I wonder if they would have had access to the Federalist papers, might have changed things.

          And then there were more gradual changes over time made by the Supreme Court interpretations of the Constitution, but those started more after the Civil War with the Marshall court.