Surveys in the early twenty-first century reveal a growing disenchantment with civilian governments, with a surprisingly large minority of Latin Americans stating a preference for a dictatorial form of government over democracy. The only hope of paying off those loans is to reach the US, so even if they fail at their quest, they have no choice but to try again, and again. By the late 1970s, 17 out of 20 Latin American nations were ruled by dictators. North Americans in particular have lost total context of what happens in the Americas as a whole, as if their history is not similar, or linked, to Central and South America. On a similar note, the citizens of the country with a dictatorship do not have … Since so many alumni are notorious human rights abusers, the US military should close its deadly School of Americas Fri 19 Nov 2010 09.00 EST First … The conditions in Latin America that allowed dictatorships to flourish were the same as those that supported dictators in Europe. Dictatorships are often unexpected. Interesting experiments in avoiding both anarchy and tyranny have been made in Colombia and in Uruguay, at the two extremes of the southern continent.

The US supported key dictators in Latin America who were ideological allies with the United States in its fight against Communism, even if they were not democratic. Yet, for all of the steps in the right direction, democracy in Latin America still faces many challenges.

Africa is known for its dictators and their uncanny ability to stay in power for decades despite widespread corruption, bad governance, and deep unpopularity. By 1810, Spanish America could look to other nations to see revolutions and their results.

Many Latin American army leaders had gained fame and power during their long struggle for independence. Some were a positive influence: The American Revolution (1765–1783) was seen by many in South America as a good example of elite leaders of colonies throwing off European rule and replacing it with a more fair and democratic society—later, some constitutions of new republics borrowed heavily from … And they controlled the new nations as military dictators, caudillos. On the other, there was a loss of faith in democratic institutions. The Cold War. And with that so did the US interest in anti-socialist dictatorships. The Open Veins of Latin America should be mandatory reading for any Americans, and i mean Americans in the broadest sense, from Canadians to Argentinians. Sources. Brian Loveman - For la Patria: Politics and the Armed Forces in Latin America Again this is not the only reason, but with one of their supports removed, the dictatorships were weakened. Yet Latin America is not wholly given over to dictatorship and revolution. As the Soviet state ended, so did the fear of international communism. Until recently, the continent had ten of the top 14 longest-serving leaders. On the one hand, there was economic instability.

It is a somewhat common refrain in Latin America that countries need the mano dura (strong hand) of a military dictatorship in order to get things done. Twenty years later—in a remarkable volte face —18 had replaced the iron fist with functioning democracies. They have arisen among prosperous, educated and cultured people who seemed safe from a dictatorship – in Europe, Asia and South America. Democracy has come a long way in Latin America and we can draw encouragement from the region's historic rejection of military dictatorships and bloody civil conflicts (although the one in Colombia continues unabated). Known as dictators, the leaders of dictatorships often have a team of officials who make up the government of the dictatorship, but these officials do not have much of a say in the final outcome of anything. The reason why there were military dictatorships in Latin America because the U.S. was terrified of having a whole bunch of Cuba’s in the neighborhood.