The Notes cover the period of Latin American history from 1492, the year of the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus, to the 1980s of the 20th century, the apogee of the Latin American revolutionary movement. The genre of the work is determined by the bibliographic material, mostly Spanish, with which the author had the opportunity to become acquainted during his internship in Cuba (1966–1968) and teaching work in Nicaragua (1982–1985). The author refrains from personal assessments and insinuations, considering it his task to acquaint the modern reader, first of all, with the objective content of the history of the two-century struggle of Latin American peoples for their liberation. This book is intended not so much for Latin American specialists, but for a wide youth audience, for whom the 20th century, filled with tragic events, is fading into the annals of history.