Chapter 4 - Postcolonial Blues

In the previous chapter of "Independence", I learned a lot about the different ways that Latin America gained their independence. I enjoyed having discussions during class about the independence movements because I learn more when other people are talking because I learn more than just reading the information from the book.
Now, in chapter 4, the first words right off the bat tell me what it is going to be about, which is Liberty, Equality, and Popular Sovereignty. I learned that Latin America divided the lines between Liberals and Conservatives. The Liberals were oriented toward progressive models and the Conservatives were going back toward colonial or Spanish models. I think in class we need to clarify the difference between the two parties more because I'm still a little questioned by them. There was at the time economic and institutional difficulties going on. A horrible economic devastation had occurred during the independence wars, but the Mexican and Peruvian silver mines were hit the hardest. Latin America produced the most silver in the world, but they had ran out of money after independence. Another problem was that there was a lack of transportation structure. There was a lack of navigable rivers.
I prefer that we talk more about the Caudillo leadership and the politics that was present in the rest of the chapter because I don't understand much of it.