Transitions to Constitutional Regimens
Return to Constitutional Life
The Southern Cone
Directed Democracies
Andean Countries
Latin American Solidarity
Central America and the Caribbean
Construction of democracy
The struggles for democracy in Latin America, together with the economic failures of the military regimes, created the conditions for a return to the rule of law in Latin America. The situation of dictatorships became increasingly uncomfortable. At the end of the seventies and eighties, the tendency to return to constitutionality grew. military dictatorships fell.
In Nicaragua, the dictator Somoza was overthrown by the military action and popular mobilization of the Sandinista Front, which took power. In some Central American countries the dictatorial regimes were defeated. Insurrectionary movements appeared in El Salvador. In Panama, progressive military men died in a plane the dictator. The Duvalier dictatorship in Haiti fell in the mid-1980s.
The new Constitution of Ecuador came into force and the elected government began its administration. Peru's dictatorship left power and a civil society government was established. Bolivia, the process of establishing the Constitution system was altered by several dictatorships. Colombia was left with a constitutional regime. Venezuela enjoyed a period of stability thanks to the boom in oil exports.
The Uruguayan dictatorship was defeated in a referendum. The Argentine military had a war with Great Britain in the Maldives and was overthrown. In Chile, the Pinochet dictatorship called a plebiscite. He was defeated and the country recovered the legal regime in a few years. The Brazilian military began a gradual process of returning to the rule of law in stages. The last dictatorship to fall was in Paraguay.
After the military dictatorships, the countries entered the constitutional regime. But full democratic systems did not enter. The Armed Forces maintained influence over the regimes, which is why they were called "directed" or "supervised" democracies. The constitutional governments maintained and even deepened the neoliberal measures. The laws prevented sanctions for agents of dictatorships who committed crimes and attacks against human rights.
People focused on the day to day and neglected concerns such as integration, people became more aware of Latin American belonging. Dictatorships and economic difficulties caused the migration of people from the Southern Cone to Mexico.
The great task of the Latin American countries is to build democracy. and in doing so implies the validity of a legal regime with equality, guarantees and security for citizens, election of their authorities, protection of work. Democracy implies the effective respect of the rights of the people.