The 20^th and 21^st centuries represent a cacophony of change for Spain and Latin America. On one side of the Atlantic, the Mexican Revolution turned heads as the first major political movement of the century. In 1910, dictator Porfirio Díaz was overthrown, beginning a chain reaction of political struggles for control of the country that lasted a decade. The war was all-encompassing: Mexico witnessed great levels of wealth redistribution, and the cultural roles of various social classes were distorted in the flux. Fighters such as Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata were immortalized in the Mexican popular imagination, and women exerted agency like never before.

Just as Latin American countries gained economic footholds in the commerce of raw materials such as coffee, sugar and bananas, tragedy struck in the form of the Great Depression. Inflation, unemployment, and economic inequality exploded. In response, many leaders consolidated their authority and promoted industrialization of their countries to reduce dependence on foreign markets. Success stories, like that of Argentina, were often short-lived due to mismanagement of fiscal and monetary policy. Despite this, the newfound authority of Latin American leaders in the Great Depression was enduring. Beginning with Juan Perón in Argentina, dictatorships erupted across Latin America and lasted for decades in countries like Chile and Venezuela. Conversely, revolution also ensued. In Cuba, anger over vast economic divides prompted the formation of a quasi-socialist state under the Castro regime. Other states like Nicaragua also donned the red, prompting varying levels of CIA involvement from the United States in an effort to contain communism by influencing elections and providing selective military support.

Across the Atlantic, political divides in Spain were just as, if not more, stark. In 1936, a military coup led to a Civil War that previewed the bloodshed to come just a few years later in World War II. The war led to the downfall of republican democracy and the emergence of Francisco Franco, a right-wing dictator who wished to mold Spanish society into his vision of Catholic nationalism. When his reign ended after decades of rule in 1975, Spanish society liberalized rapidly as artistic, political, pedagogical and sexual subcultures came out of the shadows.

At this time, the Latin American economic situation was largely in a rut. In response, many leaders looked to neoliberalism: a doctrine espousing minimal government interference in the economy and the free movement of goods and services. What was initially embraced by political giants like Reagan and Thatcher eventually stretched all the way to the Southern Cone, and enormous social change followed. Outsourcing of jobs from countries with higher labor standards lead to an abundance of cheap labor and a concurrent explosion of wealth inequality. New connections with foreign markets lead to increased industry, but also unprecedented levels of narcotic and human trafficking.

As rapid economic change occurred, the Latin world was thrust into the 21st century. On a cultural level, increasing access to higher education began a new era of intellectualism defined by the inclusion of historically marginalized voices, be them indigenous, Black, or other. Economically, globalization continues to homogenize the continent while states produce varying success in fostering domestic industry. Some, such as Venezuela, struggle to sustain nationalized industries and broad social welfare networks. The COVID-19 pandemic hit Latin America at a time of broad civil unrest in places like Bolivia and Nicaragua. Deaths in the continent are disproportionately high, as is distrust in governing institutions. All the while, immigration muddles the borders that separate the peoples of the world, and the effects of climate change pose an ever-growing threat to national security and economic prosperity.