Questions 1-2 are about the following passage.

    By 1825, most Latin American countries gained independence from Spain and Portugal. At this time, world power was held by Western countries such as Great Britain, France, and the United States. These countries, particularly the United States, invested a large amount of money in Latin America. Because of this, Latin America became dependent on the United States politically and economically. 

    In addition to foreign intervention, Latin America suffered from inner conflicts. Many countries were formed, but these newly formed countries split up because of struggle over control of the state. Latin American national resources were exported to other countries. This allowed for a group of very rich people to develop, but this group did not care about creating democracies in their countries.

    The political and economic troubles resulted in caudillos. Caudillo is a Spanish word that refers to a leader whose power is connected to his military skill. They took over the unstable and corrupt democracies in place. Most politicians were conservative and believed that the old system — of a very rich group who ruled all — was the best system. During this time, Latin America was in a position to supply the world with many raw materials, and politicians and officials were mainly interested in making sure their countries had a place in the world economy, rather than solving domestic disunion.