Argentina v. Chile. Even though these two countries are in different locations in Latin America and ruled by different leaders, they both have their similarities and their differences.

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Alejandro Peña

History HL2

17 September 2011

Argentina v. Chile

When it comes to government establishment in Latin America, there are a handful of countries that one may think of. The ones that may have come up first on one’s list can be the countries of Argentina and Chile. Even though these two countries are in different locations in Latin America and ruled by different leaders, they both have their similarities and their differences. Throughout the history of these two countries, there have been many disputes that have occurred that involve class warfare, power struggles, and the fluctuation in their economies. One could argue that the instability of Argentina and Chile caused class warfare, power struggles, and fluctuation of markets.

Argentina, which is officially called the Argentine Republic, is the largest Spanish speaking country in Latin America. Argentina is mainly dominated by middle-class people of European descent (mostly Spanish and Italian). In 1502, during the voyage with explorer Amerigo Vespucci is when Europeans first arrived to what is now Argentina. On July 9, 1816, after conflicts, Buenos Aires and General Jose de San Martin declared Argentina’s independence from Spain. Its first constitution was drafted in 1853 and its government was formed in 1861. Location wise, Argentina was full of agricultural land which plays a big role in their economy which at one point helped them become one of the world’s ten wealthiest nations. Around the time of the United States stock market crash, Argentina also faced a time of instability which caused its constitutional government to be overthrown in 1943. When that happened, Juan Domingo Peron became the country’s political leader then president in 1946. He was reelected in 1952 but later exiled in 1955 because of the government’s instability. For about the next twenty years, Argentina was run by military and civilian political administrations until in March 11, 1973 because of years of problems and government instability, they elect Hector Campora into office. Later, Peron took power again and died a year later. His wife took his place until 1976. Military forces were in charge of Argentina until 1983 when Raul Alfonsin was elected as president for a six year term. During his presidency, the government stabilized for a short period of time but there were still economic problems. After his presidency, instability returned to Argentina until 2003 when Nestor Kirchner was elected to be president. He was then able to restore Argentina’s government.

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Chile, which is officially called the Republic of Chile, is one of Latin America’s most prosperous countries. It has a market economy and is known for their strong financial institutions. In Chile, it is very unusual to be in the poverty level which can lead to the reason why their government is committed to promoting democracy. The first Europeans to arrive in Chile were the Spanish conquistadors in 1535. They came in search for gold and silver which eventually led people to inhabit what is now known as Santiago, Chile. Chile tried to reach its independence away from Spain in ...

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