Democracy in Latin America: Visions and Realities

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Recent events throughout Latin America have placed issues of democracy at centre stage. Collected here are articles that evaluate different models of democracy, challenging the realities and myths of the practice of democracy in various countries throughout the region. Through the writings of leading Latin American and US scholars, including James Petras, Pablo Gonzalez Casanova and Max Azicri, the book addresses such important topics as whether Washington's "Model Democracies" are truly democratic, and how Guatemala's civilian regime compares to Nicaragua's revolutionary democracy. By covering countries as diverse as Cuba, Argentina and Guatemala, the collection adds to an understanding of different models of democracy and challenges traditional methodologies used to evaluate them. Several essays put the issue of democratization in the context of economic crisis, resulting in political redefinitions, and the emergence of new social movements.

Author Bio

SUSANNE JONAS teaches Latin American studies at the University of California at Santa Cruz. She has written extensively on Central America and is currently working on a book on Guatemala, as well as analytical articles concerning recent developments in Central America based on firsthand observation. NANCY STEIN has researched and written extensively on U.S. policy toward Latin America with a focus on Central America and U.S. military policy. She is a former president and current board member of Global Options, a San Francisco-based research organization.