2mo ago

TIL that Honduras, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua were briefly united in the 1800s as the Federal Republic of Central America

en.wikipedia.org

Federal Republic of Central America - Wikipedia

cross-posted from: https://lemmit.online/post/5938935

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/sleekpaprika69 on 2025-05-29 01:09:43+00:00.

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2mo ago

TIL that Honduras, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua were briefly united in the 1800s as the Federal Republic of Central America

en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Federal_Republic_of_Central_America

26 comments

Can you guess who played the lead role in destabilizing the FRCA?
It starts with United and rhymes with Bates of Bamerica.
USA! USA! USA!
- It sounds like a bit of a shitshow even without US involvement
  The republic was politically unstable, experiencing civil wars, rebellions, and insurrections by liberals and conservatives. From 1827 to 1829, it fell into a civil war between conservatives who supported Arce and liberals who opposed him. Liberal politician Francisco Morazán led the liberals to victory, and was elected president in 1830. The republic descended into a second civil war from 1838 to 1840, by the end of which the states of Central America declared independence and the federal republic ceased to exist.
  Historians have attributed the country's political instability to its federal system of government and its economic struggles. Agricultural exports were insufficient and the federal government was unable to repay its foreign loans, despite favorable terms. Central America's economic troubles were caused in part by the federal government's inability to collect taxes and inadequate interstate infrastructure.
  
  Foreign loans means they were being fucked by Empire. This is colonialism.
  
  Someone didn't read US history before trying to recreate things.
- How would the US have even been capable of intervening?
  
  Guns. See also the Spanish American war.
  The US has a lot of rich people who own fruit companies who have an interest in making as much money as possible on the backs of wage slaves.
  
  Largely diplomaticly and financially. The US actively supported secessionists with guns and money. Being fair the little federation was never very stable, but the US got involved immediately to ensure it never found it's footing.
  Imagine that, if during the first Constitutional Convention in the late 1780's, if Europe had sent envoys to separate factions with an assload of weapons and whispered "hey, you really gonna let them get away with that shit? I got your back bro if this gets bloody..."
  That's kinda what we did.
I just traveled to Guatemala and learned that once you're in Guatemala, which is visa-free for most countries, you can also travel visa-free to Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua during your stay.
I know this will most probably be an unpopular opinion, but as someone who was born and raised in Central America, I have never understood why these countries are separate countries.
- It's because the US violently overthrows any government that attempts to unify against them
Wait until you hear about the Gran Colombia.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gran_Colombia
- Came here to say this
Regarding the last part of your comment, a dude called Christopher Simon Sykes, whose last name you might recognise, wrote a book called 'The man who created the middle East'. It's a biography of his grandfather, and an attempt to vindicate him.
- I don't want to be that person. But I guarantee a special place in hell for his grandfather.
  
  I don't want to be that person either, but I really don't think that Sykes is personally to blame for Britain's shitty policies in and for the Middle East, the consequences of which still play a major role in the mess the region still is. Point being that, besides Gringoland, Britain should also be held accountable for the role they have played around the world in everything from ethnic cleansing all the way to supporting brutal, even murderous, dictatorships.

26 comments