Upon their arrival in Latin America, the Europeans were unaware of the magnitude of their actions. Historical records now demonstrate that they caused long-lasting devastation to the indigenous people of this region. After 1492, the Europeans gained control over a significant part of South America and imposed their foreign culture on the pre-existing civilizations. These ideas weakened the continent, resulting in cultural loss and dependence on European nations. Additionally, it fostered enduring ethnic tension between native inhabitants and settlers that still exists today. The indigenous peoples of South America, including the Aztec, Olmec, and Maya cultures in Central America as well as the Inca culture in South America had developed advanced civilizations encompassing calendars, mathematics, writing systems, astronomy, arts, and architecture.
Regrettably, the Europeans demonstrated little respect for the native culture they intended to destroy, prioritizing their own hidden motives instead. Prior to European influence, the diverse tribes scattered throughout Latin America would have been viewed as somewhat uncivilized by Western standards. The European friars were shocked by native customs and felt obligated to “eliminate” them. A highly Christianized perception of the indigenous people emerged, portraying them as ignorant pagans. Some reports depicted the natives as incredibly brutal and unintelligent. It was even alleged that these early tribes practiced bestiality and cannibalism, married their own relatives, committed other serious sins, and served and worshipped the devil.
During the era of colonization, European settlers held extremely biased views and embarked on a crusade to Christianize the indigenous tribes in order to “westernize” their civilizations. These Europeans saw no value in preserving native traditions and assimilated the indigenous cultures into their own. Under the pretext of Christianity, European powers committed atrocities in Latin America with the support of their governments, driven by greed and jealousy. According to an article from National Geographic, the Spanish conquistadors were motivated by their greed for gold and their pursuit of El Dorado, risking their lives and crossing oceans in unfit vessels to seize precious property from the indigenous people. The Spanish royal rulers implemented measures to ensure they could exploit the land and resources of Latin America without any obstruction.
The European governments established missionaries to encourage the missionary process, but they were not allowed to dominate the colony and jeopardize royal rule. In the 16th century, European ships arrived to colonize the land and exploit its natural resources. In the process, they killed indigenous people and brought black slaves from Africa. As a result, millions of indigenous people were slaughtered and their cultures were completely destroyed. This Christianization of the native inhabitants led to a blend of cultures within indigenous civilizations, ultimately isolating old native ways in a small oppressed population. The Christianized individuals became symbols of loyalty to the European powers and were left alone based solely on their religious status. (Ribero)
The total replacement of religion in Latin America by Europeans led to the destruction of strong civilizations and the imposition of an ornate urban lifestyle. According to Mariano Picon-Salas, despite the poverty and backwardness, the ruling class enforced this style of existence from the beginning of colonization. When Europeans eventually left Latin America, the need for their presence became apparent. As native Latin Americans adopted Christianity, they moved away from their indigenous traditions and became more reliant on European culture. The elite associated European capitalism with progress, further deepening their dependency on European countries. This included an unfair economic system based on Capitalistic trade, which was described as unbalanced and asymmetrical in a periodical.
According to Ribeiro, the economic system in Latin America was based on monopolies maintained by dominant groups and nations. These dominant nations including England, Spain, and Portugal, had the collective native people of Latin America as their victims. The article also points out that the powerful nations coercively imposed readjustments on the weak nations in market dealings. This unbalanced economic system trapped Latin America in a state of extreme poverty and mediocrity. It is hard to imagine that a economically dominant country can impose their beliefs on established people, but this had become a frightening reality for the people of Latin America. The Europeans made significant advancements in urbanization, industrialization, and modernization at an unprecedented pace.
The stresses of European westernization had created an overwhelming dependency on European influence among Latin Americans. This was perpetuated by the economic trade with Europeans, who maintained power and wealth even after being overthrown by Latin American rebellions. Latin Americans also relied heavily on a stable government, as the indigenous governments were eradicated by European conquests and replaced with a European system overseen by the occupying European nation’s government. The Spaniards took over an established society, replacing the rulers they had deposed or killed. The Europeans not only destroyed existing government systems but also made it difficult to establish a non-Europeanized government. In his book, “The Poverty of Progress,” E. Bradford Burns concludes that these once strong folk societies had lost their struggle.
The Europeanization that was happening on a large scale made other alternatives non-viable. Europeans faced challenges in establishing a full structured system in a foreign land, especially in the dense rainforest where it was difficult to implement feudalism. According to Claudio Veliz, Spain did not intend to establish true colonization in the forested Amazonian lands, as feudalism was both expensive and susceptible to serfs escaping into the dense forests. When European governments withdrew from Latin America, they took away the structure imposed by the oppressors, leaving the countryside in a state of short-term chaos with spontaneous revolts that quickly lost power and were replaced by others.
The indigenous cultures have been continuously affected by the uncertainty brought about by chaotic uprisings, which failed to meet the people’s expectations and further intensified their sense of uncertainty. Poverty, neglect from the government, corrupt politics, and unattainable progress were the causes of desperation in various countries. Regrettably, ethnic tensions still persist today. These tensions between Europeans and other populations have existed for centuries and currently impact numerous Latin Americans. The European ethnic hierarchy, which predates the colonization of Latin America, continues to oppress the people of this region by prioritizing those with more European features over those with more indigenous features. Consequently, the oppression faced by indigenous individuals that began with the arrival of the first Europeans remains ongoing.
According to Robert Toplin, seventeenth century Europeans solidified an aristocratic society that emphasized social distinctions and class prejudices. These longstanding ethnic tensions have undermined the self-confidence of the native people who had achieved it long before the European conquests. The natives were constantly made to feel inferior with designations that categorized their racial mixture, contributing to their resentment and sense of ethnic inferiority. After centuries of oppressing the indigenous people in Latin America, the European powers lost credibility and trust, no longer regarded as loyal due to their Christian status. The Counter-Reformation led to a mistrust of “new Christians,” resulting in a requirement for proof of “clean blood” as a social necessity (as stated in a book).
Even to this day, the native people still experience a significant occurrence of ethnic inferiority. Specifically, the people of Chiapas, Mexico serve as a prime example of this degradation. The Mexican government compels them to inhabit a region characterized by extreme geographical conditions and infertile soil. Despite demanding basic necessities like running water and equal education, they are denied solely because of their ethnic background. These indigenous Latin Americans face discrimination due to European social concepts imposed on them through the legacy of European colonization. This social stigma of European supremacy confines the Native Latin Americans mentally, resulting in their feeling of inferiority and exile from their own land. After enduring years of oppression and cultural changes, the people of the Latin American region have tragically lost their rights and now find themselves on unfamiliar terrain.
These grounds are composed of Spanish oppression. The native cultures of these “barbaric” societies, which far surpassed the more accepted ways, were made to feel guilty about their traditional ways. The indigenous peoples’ expansive lifestyles were astonishing to the Europeans, but due to greed and deceit, they were forced into a diminished, oppressed way of life. This lifestyle led to the destruction of highly cultural societies. The appreciation for the Indian tribes’ cultures in this vast region was lost at the hands of a less enlightened people. It took hundreds of years for these people to be fully recognized for their value. The natives from the past were initially portrayed as evil and barbaric, but they later gained recognition for their significant contributions and advanced civilizations. There is also great wonder about how these civilizations acquired such extensive knowledge and skills. Today, these cultures are lost heritages to the Spaniards, and the destruction of this magnificent excellence has left a continent in a state of chaotic recovery.
Works Cited
- Burns, E. Bradford. The Poverty of Progress, University of California Press, 1980Gibson, Charles. Spain in America, Harper Torch Books, 1966Hanson, Earl Parker.
- South from the Spanish Main, Delacorte Press, 1967″Latin America.” Encarta. CD-ROM. Seattle: Microsoft, 2001.
- Leon, Juana Ponce de. Our Word is Our Weapon, Seven Stories Press, 2001Liss, Peggy K. and Liss, Sheldon B. Man, State, and Society in Latin America, Praeger Publishers, 1972″The Peace of Latin America.”
- National Geographic October 1905: 479-480Picon-Salas, Mariano. A Cultural History of Spanish America, University of California Press, 1963Radin, Paul. Indians of South America, Doubleday, Doran & Company, Inc., 1942Ribeiro, Claudio de Oliveira. “
- Has Liberation Theology Died?” The Ecumenical Review Jul. 1999: 304Toplin, Robert Brent. Slavery and Race Relations in Latin America, Greenwood Press, 1940Veliz, Claudio.
- The Centralist Tradition of Latin America, Princeton University Press, 1980BibliographyBurns, E. Bradford. The Poverty of Progress, University of California Press, 1980Clayton, Lawrence A.
- Bolivarian Nations of Latin America, The Forum Press, Inc., 1984Gibson, Charles. Spain in America, Harper Torch Books, 1966Hanson, Earl Parker. South from the Spanish Main, Delacorte Press, 1967″Latin America.” Encarta. CD-ROM. Seattle: Microsoft, 2001.
