Why aren't there any Latin american terrorists?

[toddzilla]

We've been doing the same thing to them as we have to the middle east, but they are the only ones it seems to be fighting back.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

1. We had guerrillas when the governments were dictatorships

Righties called them terrorists, but of course that's highly debatable. They were bent on overthrowing the local puppet governments and nothing else. After the dictatorships crumbled under their own weight there was no real reason to go Che anymore.

Go get the Brazilian movie "Four Days in September".

[David Dunham]

2. Reagan and Bush I killed off the Sandinistas and other leftists.

3. all depends how you define the terms

check this link for example

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2001/nov2001/reic-n24.shtml

Death squads would be considered terrorism I think.

edit-- and on the other side--

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2004/3/15/172232.shtml

[newscaster]

5. Before you say

central and south America is free of terrorists,
read up about the Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) and Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (MRTA) guerrilla movements. Both operate in Peru.

9. You won't get an argument from me on that

I agree with you.
I think the question of the poster reveals a bit of lack of knowledge.

[toddzilla]

12. i just phrased my question incorrectly.

What i was inferring is why aren't there Latin American terrorists in the same vein as "al qaeda" where they deliberately target americans, either at home, or abroad. Embassies, military bases, airports etc..

Considering the parallels that can be easily drawn between our treatment of the middle east and latin america, i'm just suprised at the lack of terrorism directed at us from the region.

14. Sorry if I impugned you.

I figured out later that you had phrased the question oddly.

This gives me a chance to retract my comment.

[toddzilla]

15. no problem

I'm not offended or anything, i'm kind of annoyed at myself for making an unclear post in the first place.


it's all good.

[RoyGBiv]

4. Perspective

A lot of the real terrorists in Latin America were/are on the US payroll.

As others have said, though, some of those the US defines as terrorists in L-A have or had more limited goals. M-E terrorism is fueled by religious zealotry, which is one reason why the way BushCo are prosecuting this war makes it so very dangerous. He's actively inviting a war of religions.

[toddzilla]

6. I meant terrorism directed at the US

not local terrorism directed at local populations.

[Bombtrack]

19. And I answered your question below. Catholic populations just don't

produce America-targeting terrorists like Islamic populations do in todays world. There are small Islamic populations scattered throughout the region though, and some terrorists coming from them. Suriname has the largest Muslim population of any Latin country. And I know that in southern Brazil and Northern Argentina there have been Muslim terrorist attacks on jews.

[izzie]

7. I do not think that is a right statement.

Things have been going on in Latin America for ages. They are just called other things. Usually Red if you are not with us.

[Zorra]

8. There are. They get trained at the SOA. n/t

[LittleApple81]

10. Wasn't there one called "Carlos" who was internationally known?

wasn't he Venezuelan.

[Bombtrack]

20. Carlos the Jackal was from Spain I believe

He was an ally of the PLO who was a very successful terrorist

[JHBowden]

11. The FARC is still up in running in Columbia.

The violence isn't directed at the U.S. directly, but at the Columbian government and the paramilitaries.

[IrateCitizen]

13. There are -- and they're living in Miami under US protection

Does the name Orlando Bosch ring a bell? There are plenty of terrorists among the Cuban exile crowd.

[Bombtrack]

18. Right, just as there are terrorists that Fidel protects

. There are mucho unfavorables' on both sides of that conflict

[burrowowl]

16. Negroponti and Otto Reich

to name a few. Ooops! The are U$ians. Oh sorry.

[Bombtrack]

17. There are. They aren't as dangerous to us because they aren't Islamic

and therefor don't see the US as infidels.

Terrorists in Latin America are mostly militant arms of right and left wing groups. FARC in columbia is one prominent example.

There are also various Narco terrorists who aren't mainly dealing with any ideology. And the ideological terrorists are often involved in the drug trade as well.

There is also a small Islamic population scattered throughout south America that does produce terrorists.