Liberal Re-emergence in Latin America in The 1860s

The surge of liberal ideology in the 1850s and 60s and the failure of conservatives to hold widespread appeal in society left the door open for liberals to open in reforms and among them was free market reforms designed to increase the economy.  However, like in many times in Latin American history, the reforms were a little too late and when its doors were finally opened, developed countries in Europe and the United States took to economic exploitation and cultural domination in the 1880s to 1929 in a time period that would be remembered as the Neocolonialist age in Latin America.

                Classic Liberals like those in that dominated Latin America in the 1850s believed in free markets that focused on the individual efforts of citizens.  But at this time, the global market was beginning to emerge in ways never before seen.  Developments in refrigerated steam ships, railroads and even silent picture films granted all sorts of new potentials as well as problems to handle.  For developed countries, these new technological developments would allow for increased shipments to and from Lain America allowing for these countries to export more raw materials than they had before with ever increasing demands as industrialization grew rapidly during the 1880s.  For all this, increased technology allowed for increased demands, but unfortunately for the people of Latin America, did not mean for increased development within the nations themselves (Chasteen 182).

                It is often considered an odd statement that a country can develop economically but fail to develop.  In most free market ideologies, growth and development are seen as synonymous terms but this is not always true.  Liberal governments as a whole abandoned their policy of democracy and resorted to rigged elections and force in an attempt to bring economic growth and development to its people (Chasteen 193).  For this, the now despotic liberal governments were free to contract with other countries and allow them to develop industry for the sake of economic growth. Yet, like Spain’s colonial rule, the outside countries employed the most skilled labor and hired people from the host Latin American country for menial work.  Thus, while the total expenditures of the country increased, the need for skilled labor remained the same and more critically, the lack of experience toward development would hurt Lain America for future generations.