Central America's Forgotten History

1. Central America's forgotten history shapes current migration crises

"To understand what's happening today, we will challenge that narrative and emphasize our intertwined common histories."

Interconnected histories. The current migration crisis from Central America to the United States cannot be understood without examining the long history of US intervention in the region. This history, often forgotten or erased, includes:

• US military occupations (e.g. Nicaragua 1912-1933)
• Support for repressive dictatorships
• Covert CIA operations to overthrow governments (e.g. Guatemala 1954)
• Economic policies favoring US corporations over local development

Ongoing impacts. The legacy of these interventions continues to shape Central American societies through:

• Entrenched inequality and poverty
• Weak democratic institutions
• Cultures of violence and impunity
• Economic dependence on the United States

Understanding this shared history is crucial for developing effective and just responses to migration.

2. US intervention and "banana republics" defined early 20th century Central America

"The Soviets' plan is designed to crush self-determination of free people, to crush democracy in Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Panama. It's a plan to turn Central America into a Soviet beachhead of aggression."

Banana republics. In the early 20th century, US fruit companies like United Fruit dominated the economies and politics of Central American countries, leading to the term "banana republics." This era was characterized by:

• Massive land acquisitions by US companies
• US military interventions to protect corporate interests
• Installation and support of compliant dictators
• Exploitation of local labor and resources

Justifying intervention. US policymakers used various doctrines to rationalize intervention:

• Monroe Doctrine (1823): Asserting US dominance in the Western Hemisphere
• Roosevelt Corollary (1904): Claiming right to intervene in Latin American affairs
• Dollar Diplomacy: Using economic power to secure US interests

These policies set the stage for decades of US dominance and instability in the region.

3. Cold War policies fueled violence and instability in the region

"By the end of the Cold War, Latin American security forces trained, funded, equipped, and incited by Washington had executed a reign of bloody terror—hundreds of thousands killed, an equal number tortured, millions driven into exile—from which the region has yet to recover."

Anti-communist crusade. During the Cold War, the US viewed Central America through the lens of anti-communism, leading to policies that:

• Supported repressive right-wing regimes
• Funded and trained counterinsurgency forces
• Undermined democratic movements and reforms

Devastating consequences. These policies resulted in:

• Civil wars in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua
• Widespread human rights abuses and massacres
• Displacement of millions of people
• Destruction of infrastructure and economic development

The legacy of this violence continues to shape the region today, contributing to ongoing instability and migration.

4. Revolutionary movements arose in response to inequality and repression

"If Nicaragua triumphed, El Salvador will triumph!"

Popular uprisings. In response to decades of repression and inequality, revolutionary movements emerged across Central America in the 1970s and 1980s:

• Nicaragua: Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN)
• El Salvador: Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN)
• Guatemala: Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity (URNG)

Liberation Theology. The Catholic Church played a significant role in these movements:

• Emphasizing a "preferential option for the poor"
• Forming Christian Base Communities for activism
• Providing moral and organizational support to revolutionaries

These movements challenged US-backed regimes and sought to create more just societies, but faced brutal repression and US opposition.

5. Peace accords failed to address root causes of conflict

"For many voters, it felt like the choice was between Sandinista austerity and war, or Chamorro's austerity with peace."

Negotiated settlements. Peace accords in the 1990s ended the civil wars but left many underlying issues unresolved:

• Guatemala (1996)
• El Salvador (1992)
• Nicaragua (1990 - Sandinista electoral defeat)

Limitations. The accords faced several challenges:

• Failure to address economic inequality and land distribution
• Limited accountability for human rights abuses
• Continued influence of military and economic elites
• Pressure from international financial institutions for neoliberal reforms

While ending open conflict, the accords did not create the conditions for lasting peace and development.

6. Neoliberal policies exacerbated poverty and violence post-conflict

"The scarcity of state resources available for distribution . . . rendered these postwar clientelist relations relatively unstable and precarious."

Structural adjustment. International financial institutions pushed neoliberal reforms that:

• Privatized state-owned enterprises
• Cut social spending and public sector employment
• Opened markets to foreign investment and competition

Negative impacts. These policies often worsened conditions for the poor:

• Increased unemployment and informal sector work
• Reduced access to education and healthcare
• Weakened labor protections and unions
• Contributed to rising crime and gang violence

The failure to address poverty and inequality in the post-war period laid the groundwork for new forms of violence and instability.

7. Central American migration to the US is rooted in historical US policies

"For Central Americans living on the coast, Tegucigalpa [the country's capital] might have been another world. English was the language of authority."

Push factors. Migration from Central America to the US increased dramatically in the 1980s due to:

• Civil wars and political violence
• Economic disruption and poverty
• Natural disasters (e.g. earthquakes, hurricanes)

Continuing trends. Migration has continued and evolved in recent decades:

• Shift from primarily political to economic motivations
• Rise in unaccompanied minors and families
• Increasing numbers from Honduras (post-2009 coup)
• Climate change impacts on agriculture and livelihoods

US policies that contributed to instability in Central America have directly shaped migration patterns to the US.

8. Truth, justice, and reconciliation remain elusive in post-war societies

"As his death sadly showed, memory is a dangerous political tool in Guatemala; this brutal killing was also a symbolic one, an attempt to obliterate the possibility of revisiting past truths."

Truth commissions. Post-conflict countries established truth commissions to investigate wartime abuses:

• El Salvador (1993)
• Guatemala (1999)

Limitations. These efforts faced significant challenges:

• Amnesty laws protecting perpetrators
• Continued influence of military and economic elites
• Lack of resources for investigations and reparations
• Threats and violence against witnesses and investigators

The assassination of Bishop Juan Gerardi in Guatemala, just days after releasing a report on wartime atrocities, highlights the ongoing dangers of pursuing truth and justice.

9. Indigenous rights movements challenge neoliberal multiculturalism

"Autonomy without resources" undermined their ability to address the overwhelming poverty and destruction in their communities.

Resurgence of identity. Indigenous movements gained strength in the 1990s and 2000s:

• Challenging historical erasure and assimilation policies
• Demanding recognition of cultural and land rights
• Connecting local struggles to global Indigenous rights frameworks

Neoliberal multiculturalism. Governments often responded with limited recognition that:

• Celebrated cultural diversity without addressing structural inequalities
• Promoted decentralization without providing adequate resources
• Allowed extraction of resources from Indigenous territories

Indigenous activists continue to push for more substantive rights and control over their lands and futures.

10. Extractive industries threaten communities and spark resistance

"Poverty is created as a breeding ground to kill hope. They make us more miserable so that our youth don't see hope in the communities and migrate. And when they migrate, others come to grab the land. It's a systemic process of displacement."

New extractivism. Post-war Central America has seen a boom in resource extraction:

• Mining (gold, silver, nickel)
• Hydroelectric dams
• Palm oil plantations
• Logging

Community impacts. These projects often:

• Displace local communities
• Contaminate water sources and land
• Provide limited local economic benefits
• Face opposition from Indigenous and campesino groups

Resistance to extractive projects has become a key site of conflict and mobilization in the region.

11. Gang violence stems from complex historical and social factors

"Nicaragua is less homicidal than its neighbors in no small part because of the ways in which the revolution enabled the then youthful revolutionary leaders and subsequent non-Sandinista governments to experiment with and then institutionalize things like gun control, alternative policing models, and other policies and social programs, especially ones focused on altering Nicaraguan masculinity in ways first pushed by revolutionary Sandinista women."

Transnational roots. Central American gangs like MS-13 have complex origins:

• Formed by Salvadoran refugees in Los Angeles
• Spread through deportations in the 1990s and 2000s
• Adapted to local contexts in Central America

Contributing factors. Gang violence is fueled by:

• Poverty and lack of economic opportunities
• Weak state institutions and impunity
• Legacy of civil war violence and militarization
• US deportation policies
• Drug trafficking networks

Nicaragua's lower levels of gang violence highlight how different policy approaches can impact outcomes.

12. Humanitarian responses alone cannot solve the migration crisis

"We don't need your help. We need you to go back home and change your government's policy so that we can carry out our own revolution here, without your interference."

Root causes. Addressing Central American migration requires tackling underlying issues:

• Poverty and inequality
• Weak democratic institutions
• Violence and insecurity
• Climate change impacts
• US foreign policy and economic influence

Comprehensive approach. Effective solutions must include:

• Addressing historical injustices and their legacies
• Supporting sustainable economic development
• Strengthening democratic institutions and human rights
• Reforming US immigration and foreign policies
• Empowering local communities and movements

Humanitarian aid and border enforcement alone cannot address the complex historical and structural factors driving migration from Central America.

Last updated: November 19, 2024