Title: Latin America: population and internal unrest.
Abstract: This discussion of population and internal unrest in Latin America covers the following: pressures on land and agriculture; economic frustrations; the youth and radicalism; rising social tensions; and political instability. At current growth rates, Latin America's population is projected to increases between 1981 2001 by 225 million people. This staggering population growth is likely to have serious political, economic, social, strategic, and other implications. The strong opposition to family planning which came principally from nationlists, the military, and the church during the 1960s has changed to general support for voluntary family planning programs in much of Latin America. Too rapid population growth now is viewed widely as aggravating the problems of development and putting severe strains on services and facilities. The wish to limit family size is particularly strong among women. Most of Latin America's untapped land is unusable, either so steeply mountainous, densely tropical, or barren of topsoil that it cannot support life at even the most meager level of subsistence. Food production in most of Latin America has not kept pace with population growth. Since most new agricultural production is oriented toward exports rather than home consumption, conditions for most rural populations are worsening. Economic dilemmas facing Latin America include widespread poverty, the world's highest per capita debt, unemployment and underemployment that may reach between 40-50% of the workforce, negative economic growth rates over the past 5 years, immense income inequalities, declining terms of trade, extensive capital flight, little new investment or foreign assistance, increased protectionism on the part of those countriews with whom Latin America must trade, rising prices for the goods Latin America must import, and (in some countries) devastation of the economic infrastrucutre by guerrilla forces. The unprecedent flow from the countryside has made Latin America the world's 3rd most highly urbanized region. Over 65% of its population reside in cities, particularly capital cities. Social services are breaking down in all Latin American capitals to the extent that over half the inhabitants lack water or sewage facilities. There is mixed evidence on the relationship between youth and radicalism, yet it is clear that in Latin America most of the generation of university-trained young people are Marxists. As many as 45% of college-aged people are activists. The implications of this disaffected group coming to power are enormous, particularly since the generation currently under 15 is likely to be even more embittered and radical. Tension, frustration, and violence in society all are likely to have a political impact. In sum, a close but indirect relationship exists between unchecked population growth, spiraling socioeconomic problems, and the potential for political breakdown, destabilization, and internal unrest in Latin America.
Publication Year: 1985
Publication Date: 1985-09-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['pubmed']
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