VOLUME 1 Eneyclopedia of U.S. Latin American Wee ata eatelars Thomas M. LeonardVolume ENCYCLOPEDIA OF | U.S.-LATIN AMERICAN RELATIONS Thomas M. Leonard, EDITOR IN CHIEF -~ le Longley raeme S, Mount Fete EE on @sAGE | Ei Les. Ars Londen Naw ‘Srgapore| Washgten DC“be Lax Cates Bantolom. An Accu, Mas Abbr fhe Deaton ofthe Sais. Ldap, IN: Hacker, 3003, eeinger Matthew A. Ame Catia the Mes Reva ‘924-136 Sonth Bend, IN: Unversity of Nore Date rest 20. Smith, Calvin. Revlon, Rea nd Relons Confit in Sts ‘Nang Lae: il 2907, Romero, Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Osear Aroulfo Romero (1917-1986), one of the twentieth century’ most renowned advocates for socal justice and human rights, served as the Roman Catholic Archbishop of | Salvador fom 1977 until his assassination in 1980. Romero vas made & bishop in the Roman Catholic Church in a ceremony attended by Salvadoran President General Fide! Séncher Herninder in Jane 1970, The Roman Catholic Church in Latin America was at that time experi encing greet internal rnsion in the wake of changes stem= ning ftom the Second Vciesn Council (1962-1903) and the second Conferenee of Lavin American Bishops in Medellin, Colombia, i» 1968, which denounced the extremely inequie table distribstion of wealth inthe region and held, with the new liberation theology thatthe Church belonged firmly on the side of the impoverished and oppresed, Many Roman Catholic clergy in El Salvador assed in the seule for lind reform in the 19708 HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST In Febraary 1977 Romero was appointed Roman Catholic archbishop of El Salvador. He had a reputation as a cautious and acquiescent man who generally deferred to government officials and Church authorities. Romero assumed his position as archbishop two dys after the announcement that Gen- eral Carlos Humberto Romero (no relation), El Salvador’. ininister of defense, would succeed Colonel Arturo Armando ‘Molina as president following, bltantly fraudulent election, Immediately following the fiaud, tens of thousands of pro- testers gathered in San Salvador’ Plaza Libertad to demand honest election sesults. After three days of strikes and dem= fonszrations, yowernmens troops fred on those who nefsed to Jeave the plaza, The Salvadoran authorises admisted to killing eight protesters, In early March 1977 the Roman Catholie bishops of El Salvador composed a statement condemning the {allings and the campaign of intimidation being conducted by the Salvadoran government apainst its political opponents Romer agreed to read the statement at the Sunday morning :mass in San Salvador’: Roman Catholic Metropolitan Cathe- ral on March 13, The day before Romero read the statement, his friend Rutilio Grande, 2 Jesuit priest involved in organizing land- less peasants, was assasinated. Romero announced that the Roman Catholic Church in Bl Salvador would boycott off cial governmens events pending an investigation into Grande's death. Meanwhile, responding to appeals by business lead- cs and large landowners ¢o curb social unrest following his fraudulent electoral victory, Humberto Romeso provoked a Romero, Archbishop Oscar Arnulf 785 civil war by outlawing nongovernment unions and carrying ‘out a campaign of tertor through te Salvadoran military and government-enlorsed extralega rightist death squads, Romero became increasingly outspoken aguinst govern ‘mene persecution, evolving into a champion of the Salva- doran poor and an impassioned human tights advocate who proclainied that the promotion of socia}, political, and eco= homie justice was afimdamensal part of the Roman Catholic Church’ mission. He set up a commission t@ moniter and document abuses of power by Salvadoran governmental and military leaders, In his archdiocesan newspaper, Romero listed the names of the governments many dissenters who had ise appeared. Romero’ sermons, which were broadeast nationally over the radio, denounced human rights violations, Romero became internationally recognized for his huntan tights advo- acy and gained the support of namerous religion-based irassroots social service organizations in North America and Western Europe. In February 1978 he received an honorary tioccorate from Georgetown University in Washington, [LC In November 1978 the British Parliament nominated hint for the Nobel Peace Prize. At the third Conference of Latin American Bishops, held in Puebla, Mexico, in 1979, Romero supported renewing the Roman Catholie Church’ eommit= ment (0 social justice in Latin America, which bad begun a decade earlier in Medellin, Colombia ROMERO AND THE CARTER ADMINISTRATION US. President Jimmy Carter, who took office in Janary 1977, initially criticized the Humberto Romero adininisers= tion for its abuses of human rights, Carter hoped ro encour- age a transition to democracy in El Salador, which had been ruled by military strongmen since the 1930s, but events in neighboring Nicaragua encouraged the Carter administra- sion to place a higher priority on maintaining the strength of the Salvadoran military. As 2 Marxist-inspired insangency challenged che long-standing rule of Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza Debayle the Carter administration hoped to install a centrist opposition, Instead, Somoza and his associates fled the country, allowing Daniel A. Ortega and the Sendinista National Liberation Front to take contol of Nicaragua in July 1979, The Carter administration wanted « legitimate pro-Us, overnment in EI Salvador, one that was wader civilian eon- tool yet willing to work with the military t0 suppress leftist Salvadoran rebels, who eventually received aid fron the San= dlinista government in Nicaragua. Despite a coup that ousted Humberto Romero in October 1979 and government prom= ises to hold free elections and establish che rule of lay, brutal attacks on the peasantry and members of popular civil society ‘organizations continued. In January 1980 the civilian members Of the ruling junea resigned in frustration over their inability to stop killings by the Salvadoran military and its death squad alliesThat year, unrestrained security forces oper governmental authority killed more thin nine thousand Sal- vvadorans, most of them unarmed civilians outside786 Roosevelt, Franklin D. [At the insistence of the Carter administration, the Salva- doran military asked the Christion Democratic Party to rep= resent the civilian sector in a new junta, which depended fon US, aid and assistance, The Christian Democrats quickly divided into faetions. The most conservative Christian Demo- rats, fal by José Napoleén Duarte Fuentes, agreed to remain in the junta, Despite receiving many death threats, Archbishop Romero continued co criticize the Salvadoran government and implored Salvadoran soldiers to put down their arms. In February i980 Romteto angered the Vatican by writing a let= ter to Carter unsuccessfully requesting the cestation of US. rnibtary aid to the junta ‘On March 24, 1980, Romero was assassinated while cel- ebrating Mass in the chapel of the Hospital of Divine Provi- dence, which he had established in San Salvador to care for ‘cancer patients. The following week, tens of thousands of mourners atwended Romero’ fimeral ae the Metropolitan Catheciral. Gunfire exchanged between progovernment forces and antigovernment demonstrators resulted in several deaths uring the faneral ceremony Romero’ body lies entombed in a crype in the Metropolitan Cathedral, and it has become a place of pilgrimage for Salvadorans as well as foreign vistors See also Bishops Conference, Medellin, 1968; Cater, inony; Cental American Wears, 1980s; Conference of Latin American Bish- ops (CELAM); Duarte Fuentes, José Napoleén; EI Salvador, U.S. Relations with; Liberation ‘Theology; Nicaragua, U.S. Relations with; Ortega Saavedes, José Daniel; Sandinista Navional Liberation Front (PSLN) (Nicaragua); Savino, Angusia César DAVID M, CARLETTA REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING Bre, Edn T."The Aerts of Grsooe Religions Groups 29 Change ‘US Pole tomas Cente Anercn The Methoi, Succes ant Fike Jounel of Chichi Sie 36,0. (Run 19 795-796 Brockan, Jase 1. Rane Life Maryell, NY Orbit oaks, 2008 {Casanagh Wiliny T“Doying forthe Bachar or Being Kiled by he? omer Challeng Fis Work! Cine” Theale oy $800.2 (uly 3000) 17-18. Pekan, there, Reber Bland Kyle Markham. Mensur Roma ‘Woh fr he Tins Mion, Notre Dane IN: nner of Note Dame Prew 2004, Romeo, Onc Veo te Vise: Th our Postel Utes nd Osher ‘Stamens Taasted by Michel) Walsh, Marykil NY: Ors Boos, Shortl ThodyRatieskonon of Religie Dikcoore in El Shader: “The Case of Oxar A. Ramer” Silay of Ref 2,109 (SPINE ect 10, Swann To"A Ci Art: The Pease Moral Voice of Oscar Romeo” oul of Rigi Ee 29s (Spring 200 27-4, Wright, Sc. Oar wer aie Csr ft Seine A Bp "Marykoel, NY: Orbis Books, 000, 2yrvo, Dasian,Aribiop Ouse Romer: 4 Diipe Wis Rove the Gly 1 Gad. Scraton, D8 Universty of ran Pres 201, Roosevelt, Franklin D. Franklin 1D, Roosevelt (1882~1945), a Democrat from New. York, served as president of dhe United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. The American people elected Roosevelt to four terms, unprecedented in US. political history, Ree- ‘ognized for his New Deal policies and programs that sought to end the Great Depression, Roosevelt also led the United States as commander in chief during World War HL. His four administrations, his policies and progeams, and his persona) leadership changed the nature and power of the US. federal government, stamping FDR's presidency as one of the most significant in U.S. history. FDR had a keen intesest in foreign policy.and he tended to direct the flow of US. diplomacy ftom the Oval Office. One cof Roosevelt’ key accomplishments in foreign policy surfaced when he supported and enhanced the previous administra- tion's commitment t0 a new Good Neighbor policy in Latin ‘America, Initially, he sawr the concept at a regional concern signed to reduce the cynicism and anger in the hemisphere toward heavy-handed US, intervention in the region, His uncle, Theodore Roosevelt, had initiated an aggressive "big, stick” interventionist policy, which both angered and fright- ‘ened Latin Americans. US. commercial involvement in the area (often referred to 48 dollar diplomacy) farther convinced ‘observers in the hemisphere that the United States ceeated its neighbors as second-clss citizens. To improve that image, for booth business and political reatons, FOR. adopted the Good Neighbor posture at his administration’ goa THE GOOD NEIGHBOR POLICY BBeginving with the administetion of Herbert Hoover, US. policy in Latin America worked to create beter relations with its neighbors. J. Reuben Clark (1871-1961), a assistant sec= reary of sate, had written an analysis of US. policy ia Latin ‘America condemning the (Theodore) Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Docerine that had undengirded the big-tick interventionism employed since the turn of the century President Hoover poblished Clark's Memoranduna in 1930 and began the process of altering US. policy. President Roosevelt agreed with his predecessor. On March 4, 1933+im his Inaugural Address, he sated: In the feld oF world policy 1 would dedicate this Nation to the Policy of the Good Neighbor—the neigh- bor who resolutely Respects himself and, because he does, respects the rights of Others-—the neighbor who respects his obligations and respects The sanctity of his agreements in and with a world of neighbors. Rosen- man, 1938) In July 1934, FDR sailed on the USS Houston, a newly commissioned destroyer, through the Panama Canal, the fist US. president to do so. He visiced Haiti, Colombia, and Pan= ama, pledging to remove US. Marines from Haiti, to build a new relationship of friendship with Colombia, and to show his appreciation for the work Panamanians had contributed to building the Panama Canal President Roosevelt also directed Secretary of State Cordell Hull to attend a series of hemisphere conferences and meet- ings beeween 1933 and 1940 to demonstrate US. commitment to hemisphere friendship and solidarity The effort resulted in