The Latin America Daily Post
All About The Daily News Of Latin America
Mexico's Ancient Civilization
The Aztecs were one of the first and last ancient civilizations to live in Mexico. They lived and conquered most of Mesoamerica at their greatest extent. They lived in Mesoamerica from 1345-1521. The Aztec warriors were able to conquer Mesoamerica because they were more advanced in their time and because they built better weapons than their opponents in battle. The capital and main city of the Aztecs was Tenochtitlan. Although the Aztecs always defeated their neighbors in battle, nothing could have prepared them when Hernan Cortes and the Spanish came. The Aztecs controlled over 11 million people, but the Spanish could defeat them in battle because they were more advanced in technology than the Aztecs. Also, the Aztecs had bow and arrows while the Spanish had guns and horses. So in 1519, Cortes arrived in Mexico, hoping to find riches and claim land for Spain. At that time, Montezuma II was the leader of the Aztecs. When Cortes came and met Montezuma II and the Aztecs, the Aztecs thought that Cortes was a god. Cortes looked like Quetzalcoatl, a legendary god-king. So at first, Cortes was welcomed by the Aztecs. When Cortes gained Montezuma's trust when they were alone, Cortes took Montezuma II hostage. Then, Cortes killed Montezuma II. So without their leader, the Aztecs were confused and scared. Plus, Tenochtitlan was on an island, so they couldn't really escape. Cortes then conquered Tenochtitlan. Now one by one, Cortes defeats the Aztec cities. Finally, on August 13, 1521, Cortes defeats the last Aztec city and finally defeats the Aztecs. He got many riches, and he claimed all the Aztec land for Spain. Cortes demolished Tenochtitlan and rebuilt a new city, the capital of Mexico, Mexico City. So all in all, the Aztecs were the leaders of Mesoamerica, but then when Cortes and the Spanish arrived, they couldn't win against them and lost everything they had.
Mexican Independence
If you ask people about Mexico's Independence Movement, they will most likely mention Miguel Hidalgo. Hidalgo was born on May 8, 1753. He was a church priest and wasn't the type of person that fought in battle. Instead, he was the next best thing and inspired others to fight in battle to win Mexico's independence from Spain. He gave many speeches that angered and motivated them to fight in battle for their independence. On September 16, 1810, he rang his church bells and shouted his famous "Cry of Dolores" which was, "Long live Our Lady of Guadalupe! Death to bad government! Death to the Spaniards!" Everyone was inspired and motivated and they fought against the Spanish. Unfortunately, on May 21, 1811, Hidalgo was captured by the Spanish. He was tried, and found guilty of treason. So sadly, he was put to death. But now, Hidalgo's death motivated and angered the Mexican population even more, and they still kept fighting and trying their best to win against Spain. Finally, on September 28, 1821, Mexico won its well-deserved independence from Spain. It was tough, it was hard, and it was long, but they had finally done it. And they couldn't have done it without the unique Miguel Hidalgo.
Venezuela's Environmental Concerns
In Venezuela, oil concerns are the biggest environmental issues. Venezuela uses oil for a lot of things. When Venezuela uses oil, some major accidents occur like oil spills. This results in a lot of damage to the environment and a lot of money to fix these things. Fish can die, oceans can get polluted, and people can also be affected by oil spills. The over use of oil can also result in toxic waste, pollution, and health problems. As you can see, this is not a good environment to live in. Solutions to this problem are to pass laws to reduce oil consumption and to use alternative energy resources. Passing laws to reduce oil consumption will limit oil production obviously. If people don't follow the laws, then they could be punished. Alternative energy resources are the best because they limit waste and are good for the environment. Instead of spending money on oil, the Venezuelan government can focus on spending money for a better cause, alternative energy resources. These solutions can help Venezuela transform into a better country overall.
Cuba's Government
Cuba has an unique government, one that not that many countries have today. Cuba actually is a communist country. Cuba has an autocracy, with an unitary system of government. In the 1960s, Fidel Castro was the communist leader of Cuba. Then, when he became ill, he gave his power to Raul Castro, his brother. Fidel Castro did this in order to keep communism in Cuba. So currently, Raul Castro is Cuba's leader. Because Cuba is an autocratic, communist country with a unitary system of government, the leader can be leader for however long he wants. He can be leader for an unlimited amount of terms. It really is unfair. One issue with this government, in my opinion, is that the leader can hold office and have power for however long he likes. This is not good because it isn't fair to the citizens of Cuba. They didn't do anything wrong to deserve this. And because the citizens of Cuba are treated poorly, they will get mad and revolt against the Cuban government. If this happens, there might be a war, and that is not good. So as you can see, sadly, the Cuban government isn't the best it could be.
The Economy of Brazil
Brazil has a mixed economy, similar to most democratic countries. Brazil's top three trading partners are China, the United States, and Russia. Brazil's top export is iron ore, and its top import is refined petroleum. Brazil exports iron ore to mainly China, but they also export iron ore to other countries in eastern Asia like Japan and South Korea. Brazil imports refined petroleum from the United States, but they also import refined petroleum from India. Brazil's GDP, or Gross Domestic Product, was $3.3 trillion. Brazil's literacy rate is 88.6%. Because Brazil's literacy rate is high, their standard of living is high as well. Their unemployment rate is 8%, and 22% of Brazilians live in poverty. Overall, Brazil has the best economy in Latin America, and the eight-best economy in the world.