LAS 470 Consuming Latin America

The film Fitzcarraldo gives its audience many things to ponder. " Cayahuari Yaco the jungle Indians call this country, the country where God did not finish his creation. Only after man has disappeared do they think he will finish his creation."  From the very beginning of the film, the quote gives the idea that the land is unfinished and still has much to be done to it, but the Natives believe that work is to be done by God. During the film, work is done, but maybe not that which was originally thought of. The second part of the quote suggests that this work is not meant to be done by man, but God alone. The movie suggests that the men who arrive in this land are "playing God" by accomplishing their work using the land and the people who have been waiting for someone to appear and grant them salvation. Even though we see the church in this film, it is portrayed in a negative light. The church is there to convert the Natives to Christianity and they do speak poorly o...

Moberg and Striffler The banana business has impacted Latin America militarily, diplomatically, economically, and through foreign interests. It created large sectors that solely exported bananas, which in turn, created a dependence in national and regional economies throughout the world market. Bananas created ecological, demographic, cultural, and political changed which helped an influx of immigrants to the areas where the banana companies helped with the internal infrastructure of the places where bananas dominated the work force. They became a part of identity in these areas. The business varies in production and organization throughout Central America, the Caribbean, and South America. In Costa Rica and Colombia, the companies used the land in different ways; in Ecuador, the United Fruit Company used different types of labor and recruitment control; finally, it also changed social relations and multinational involvement. Changes ensued from the inception to its demis...

Galeano: 1492 was a groundbreaking year for Spain: the Americas were found, they recovered Granada, and 150,000 Jews were expelled from Spain. The Pope gave Queen Isabella essential ownership of all of these regained and new-founded lands, connecting all of these events. Spain felt that the Americas were the land of the Devil and that their souls were beyond repair, but the understanding that their religious message may not get through to the natives did not stop their travel there for the potential riches. With the Spaniards remaining in the Americas, they had several advantages over the natives which included weapons, the wheel, and agricultural advancements. The reaction to the wealth that they stayed for in America was that of greed and gluttony which has been commented on by historians for years after. The myth of Potosi can contribute to this lust for treasures. The Spaniards imagined the horses to have silver shoes and that the city was essentially made from its wealth, physica...