What Makes Latin America a Distinct Region - Assignment Example

Latin American countries share a common preference for a family over community needs. This is a stereotype that Latin Americans are particularly proud of because it shows their tight-knit family and positive family values. It is no secret that the region suffers from severe poverty and inequality. This is no stereotype; it is the harsh reality most Latin Americans face every single day. Some regions barely have access to basic necessities like clean water and irrigation. When it comes to politics, Latin Americans also share a penchant for left-wing affiliations and guerilla wars, as well as a wide smattering of military coups and sieges.

Most Latin American countries share another undesirable yet common trait-various state of insurgency and overall political and economic uncertainty. These factors continue to drive a wedge between the region's many countries, sowing division, and conflicts among Latin American countries. Jorge G. Castaneda talked about these groups in his article entitled Latin America's Left Turn (http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/politics/left.htm) published in May/June 2006. In the article, Mr. Castaeda related, "But understanding the reasons behind these developments requires recognizing that there is not one Latin American left today; there are two.

One is modern, open-minded, reformist, and internationalist, and it springs, paradoxically, from the hard-core left of the past. The other, born of the great tradition of Latin American populism, is nationalist, strident, and close-minded. The first is well aware of its past mistakes (as well as those of its erstwhile role models in Cuba and the Soviet Union) and has changed accordingly. The second, unfortunately, has not."Factors that Divide Latin American CountriesFor years, the countries have been divided by guerrilla wars, military coups, strikes, assassinations, demonstrations and other means to overthrow the ruling parties.

The region's political scene has been going through a major overhaul in the past several years after decades of uncertainty and countless administrations later. Conflicts between the traditional elitists and the new groups including the student and peasant movement, the labor unions, leftist revolutionaries remained, resulting in continuing instability.The Latin American countries' political and economic struggles have been very colorful. For decades, most of the region's countries have been a fixture of the political equator's far left.

The region has seen the rise and fall of dictators and leaders as well as the ebb and flow of the countries' respective economies. Just over a decade ago, Latin America was about to usher in a new era of economic progress and democracy. Alas, a lot can happen in a decade. From Venezuela to Mexico, Brazil to Uruguay, Bolivia to Peru and even Nicaragua-Latin America is now the silent witness to the rise and apparent return of the leftist movements across the region.Factors that Unite Latin American Countries