Isolation stemming from Africa's and Latin America's inhospitable terrain has defined the politics, societies and economies of each region. In Latin America, for example, topographical barriers such as the Darien Gap (Panama), the Chihuahuan and Sonoran deserts (Mexico) and the cross-border Andes Mountains and Amazon rainforest have historically prevented its political cohesion. During colonial times, the Spanish struggled to maintain their colonies, separated as they were from one another. Later, independence movements had equal difficulty unifying the region. Africa has experienced similar problems with regionalism. It boasts approximately 14 major agro-ecological zones, including the Congo Basin; the Sahel, Sahara and southern Kalahari deserts; and the Niger Basin. These zones act as natural political, religious and tribal boundaries that have shaped the political dynamics of the massive continent.
By the 20th century, Africa and Latin America contained many isolated regions and states ripe for the taking by local strongmen. But the kind of authoritarianism that arose in each was distinct. Paraguay rests deep in the heart of South America, between Brazil's savannah forests and Argentina's northern plains. In 1954, Alfredo Stroessner ousted Paraguay's civilian president in a military coup. The United States, watching the spread of communism in Latin America with growing concern during the Cold War, was searching for a staunch ally in the region to host its logistics and intelligence platforms. Paraguay's remote location at the center of the Southern Cone fit Washington's needs perfectly, and throughout Stroessner's 35-year rule, Paraguay pursued a foreign policy that supported the United States in its competition with the Soviet Union.
In Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo's vast and mostly ungoverned territory almost necessitated an authoritarian government, but in the end, Cold War interests were what ensured one. The Soviet Union quickly focused its attention on the Congo, believing it could build a chain of African allies by gaining a foothold in the isolated country. Moreover, the Congo had massive deposits of cobalt, which was critical to weapons development at the time, and it was strategically positioned in the center of Africa. The Soviets hoped that they could start in the Congo and expand their influence north, outflanking NATO in Western Europe by eventually controlling the Mediterranean Sea through North Africa. But the United States did not sit idly by. It poured considerable resources into backing Mobutu Sese Seko, who rose through the military ranks to become chief of staff of the Congolese army and, eventually, head of state.
Africa and Latin America have vastly different politics, religions and social customs, but when it comes to geography there are similarities. Such striking likenesses in both regions' terrain — which is dominated by impenetrable rainforests, highlands and harsh deserts — gave rise to yet another similarity in the 20th century: dictators.
