(Re)discover the troubled but exciting political and socio-economic history of Latin America since the beginning of the Cold War, between dictatorship and democracy, boom and recession, and gain a deeper understanding of the current situation in the continent.
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The aim of this course is to give students key elements to understand the political and socio-economic evolution of Latin America since the mid-20th century. The starting point will be the onset of the Cold War, and above all the triumph of the Cuban Revolution in 1959. After studying why and how Castro and his barbudos came to power, we will consider the consequences of their success. In a continent where the left had often been denied access to power, some set up guerrilla movements to conquer power. At the same time though, events in Cuba pushed conservative forces and their allies in the military and US to formulate the National Security Doctrine, which justified, in their eyes, the increasingly exclusionary and repressive nature of the regimes they established in many countries. By the 1980s though, within a context of economic failure of the dictatorial regimes, a wave of democratisation swept across the continent. However, as we will analyse, the return to democracy happened at a time when the continent was engulfed in the debt crisis. The sharp degradation of the socio-economic situation paved the way for the implementation of neo-liberal policies from the mid-1980s, with mixed success. By the late 1990s, a growing number of people were denouncing the negative effects of such policies, making it possible for the left to win elections in several countries. This “pink tide” took place at a time of soaring commodity prices, which allowed governments to implement innovative social policies that helped to reduce poverty and inequalities. However, the drop in commodity prices from 2013 brought uncertainty back to Latin America. As the economic situation deteriorated once more, politics became increasingly unpredictable, with the rise in particular of a new extreme right.
What will we cover?
• Latin America during the Cold War • Latin America from the beginning of the Cold War • The Cuban Revolution and its consequences • The adoption of the National Security Doctrine and its implications • Guerrillas and counter-revolutionary regimes • The 1980s: transition to democracy and debt crisis • The 1990s: the neo-liberal turn and its implications • The “pink tide”, the commodity boom and the “Latin American decade” • Latin America at present.
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
• Analyse what led to the adoption of the National Security doctrine and its political consequences across the continent • Assess the challenges faced by the new democratic regimes in the 1980s and 1990s • Analyse the internal and external factors that led to the rapid growth of most Latin American economies between 2003 and 2013 • Identify the key challenges Latin America faces at present.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
No specific knowledge needed although some background information on Latin America in general would be helpful.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
The course will be a combination of lectures and group discussions. Classes will be supported by PowerPoint presentations and handouts. Learners will be asked to read a couple of articles at home to prepare the discussions in class. These will be available on the website for the course.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
After under- and post-graduate studies in Politics and History in both France and the UK, Sébastien settled in London. He has been teaching at the City Lit since 2001. Over the years, he has covered many different subjects, including politics, history, economy and culture of Latin America, French modern history, European history, global issues and current affairs. In his classes, Sébastien hopes to give learners the skills, tools and information that can help them not only to make sense of the world we live in but also to understand the origins of the key issues we face.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
product
https://www.citylit.ac.uk/latin-america-from-the-cold-war-to-the-present1423954Latin America: From the Cold War to the present https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/l/a/latin-america-cold-war-hah105-1024_1.jpg189189GBPInStock/Courses/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/History/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/History/The Caribbean & Americas22851177117811801228511771178(Re)discover the troubled but exciting political and socio-economic history of Latin America since the beginning of the Cold War, between dictatorship and democracy, boom and recession, and gain a deeper understanding of the current situation in the continent.003031081Latin America: From the Cold War to the present 189189https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/l/a/latin-america-cold-war-hah105-1024_1_3.jpgInStockDaytimeWedKeeley StreetAvailable courses5-10 weeksWeekday2026-10-28T00:00:00+00:00BeginnersOct 2026Culture, history & humanitiesHAH105189189Latin America: From the Cold War to the present 151123189Sebastien Ardouinlatin-america-from-the-cold-war-to-the-present/hah105-2627(Re)discover the troubled but exciting political and socio-economic history of Latin America since the beginning of the Cold War, between dictatorship and democracy, boom and recession, and gain a deeper understanding of the current situation in the continent.0000-Available|2026-10-28 00:00:00The aim of this course is to give students key elements to understand the political and socio-economic evolution of Latin America since the mid-20th century. The starting point will be the onset of the Cold War, and above all the triumph of the Cuban Revolution in 1959. After studying why and how Castro and his barbudos came to power, we will consider the consequences of their success. In a continent where the left had often been denied access to power, some set up guerrilla movements to conquer power. At the same time though, events in Cuba pushed conservative forces and their allies in the military and US to formulate the National Security Doctrine, which justified, in their eyes, the increasingly exclusionary and repressive nature of the regimes they established in many countries. By the 1980s though, within a context of economic failure of the dictatorial regimes, a wave of democratisation swept across the continent. However, as we will analyse, the return to democracy happened at a time when the continent was engulfed in the debt crisis. The sharp degradation of the socio-economic situation paved the way for the implementation of neo-liberal policies from the mid-1980s, with mixed success. By the late 1990s, a growing number of people were denouncing the negative effects of such policies, making it possible for the left to win elections in several countries. This “pink tide” took place at a time of soaring commodity prices, which allowed governments to implement innovative social policies that helped to reduce poverty and inequalities. However, the drop in commodity prices from 2013 brought uncertainty back to Latin America. As the economic situation deteriorated once more, politics became increasingly unpredictable, with the rise in particular of a new extreme right.(Re)discover the troubled but exciting political and socio-economic history of Latin America since the beginning of the Cold War, between dictatorship and democracy, boom and recession, and gain a deeper understanding of the current situation in the continent.• Latin America during the Cold War<br>• Latin America from the beginning of the Cold War<br>• The Cuban Revolution and its consequences<br>• The adoption of the National Security Doctrine and its implications<br>• Guerrillas and counter-revolutionary regimes<br>• The 1980s: transition to democracy and debt crisis<br>• The 1990s: the neo-liberal turn and its implications<br>• The “pink tide”, the commodity boom and the “Latin American decade”<br>• Latin America at present.• Analyse what led to the adoption of the National Security doctrine and its political consequences across the continent<br>• Assess the challenges faced by the new democratic regimes in the 1980s and 1990s<br>• Analyse the internal and external factors that led to the rapid growth of most Latin American economies between 2003 and 2013<br>• Identify the key challenges Latin America faces at present.No specific knowledge needed although some background information on Latin America in general would be helpful.The course will be a combination of lectures and group discussions. Classes will be supported by PowerPoint presentations and handouts. Learners will be asked to read a couple of articles at home to prepare the discussions in class. These will be available on the website for the course.No. Please, bring a pen and paper.HistoryThe Caribbean & Americasvirtual151189123HAH105NONEWed28/10/26 - 02/12/2615:00 - 17:0015:0017:006 sessions (over 6 weeks)65-10 weeksDaytimeWeekdayKSKeeley StreetSebastien ArdouinBeginnersAvailable courses2026-10-28T00:00:00+00:00Oct 2026Culture, history & humanities189189Latin America: From the Cold War to the present latin-america-from-the-cold-war-to-the-present/hah105-2627(Re)discover the troubled but exciting political and socio-economic history of Latin America since the beginning of the Cold War, between dictatorship and democracy, boom and recession, and gain a deeper understanding of the current situation in the continent.0000-Available|2026-10-28 00:00:00The aim of this course is to give students key elements to understand the political and socio-economic evolution of Latin America since the mid-20th century. The starting point will be the onset of the Cold War, and above all the triumph of the Cuban Revolution in 1959. After studying why and how Castro and his barbudos came to power, we will consider the consequences of their success. In a continent where the left had often been denied access to power, some set up guerrilla movements to conquer power. At the same time though, events in Cuba pushed conservative forces and their allies in the military and US to formulate the National Security Doctrine, which justified, in their eyes, the increasingly exclusionary and repressive nature of the regimes they established in many countries. By the 1980s though, within a context of economic failure of the dictatorial regimes, a wave of democratisation swept across the continent. However, as we will analyse, the return to democracy happened at a time when the continent was engulfed in the debt crisis. The sharp degradation of the socio-economic situation paved the way for the implementation of neo-liberal policies from the mid-1980s, with mixed success. By the late 1990s, a growing number of people were denouncing the negative effects of such policies, making it possible for the left to win elections in several countries. This “pink tide” took place at a time of soaring commodity prices, which allowed governments to implement innovative social policies that helped to reduce poverty and inequalities. However, the drop in commodity prices from 2013 brought uncertainty back to Latin America. As the economic situation deteriorated once more, politics became increasingly unpredictable, with the rise in particular of a new extreme right.(Re)discover the troubled but exciting political and socio-economic history of Latin America since the beginning of the Cold War, between dictatorship and democracy, boom and recession, and gain a deeper understanding of the current situation in the continent.• Latin America during the Cold War<br>• Latin America from the beginning of the Cold War<br>• The Cuban Revolution and its consequences<br>• The adoption of the National Security Doctrine and its implications<br>• Guerrillas and counter-revolutionary regimes<br>• The 1980s: transition to democracy and debt crisis<br>• The 1990s: the neo-liberal turn and its implications<br>• The “pink tide”, the commodity boom and the “Latin American decade”<br>• Latin America at present.• Analyse what led to the adoption of the National Security doctrine and its political consequences across the continent<br>• Assess the challenges faced by the new democratic regimes in the 1980s and 1990s<br>• Analyse the internal and external factors that led to the rapid growth of most Latin American economies between 2003 and 2013<br>• Identify the key challenges Latin America faces at present.No specific knowledge needed although some background information on Latin America in general would be helpful.The course will be a combination of lectures and group discussions. Classes will be supported by PowerPoint presentations and handouts. Learners will be asked to read a couple of articles at home to prepare the discussions in class. These will be available on the website for the course.No. Please, bring a pen and paper.HistoryThe Caribbean & Americasconfigurable
11801178The Caribbean & Americashttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/humanities/history/american-history1/2/285/1177/1178/11801/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/History/The Caribbean & Americas
