Dictatorships in Twenty-First-Century Latin America: Venezuela, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Ecuador, and El Salvador

Dictatorships in Twenty-First-Century Latin America explores the phenomenon of democratic governments becoming autocratic through constitutional manipulation and the abuse of legislative and judicial functions. It highlights how civilian politicians, elected by the people, have undermined the constitution and replaced it with authoritarian rule, perpetuating their hold on power. The book highlights the paradox of this trend occurring in a region with established democratic institutions, with the exception of Cuba.

Format: Hardback
Length: 308 pages
Publication date: 16 December 2022
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Dictatorships in Twenty-First-Century Latin America is a book written by former President of Ecuador Osvaldo Hurtado that explores the most important Latin American political phenomenon of the twenty-first century: the transformation of democratic governments into autocratic ones through the manipulation of the constitutional order and the legislative and judicial functions. Unlike traditional Latin American dictatorships, those of the twenty-first century have been established by civilian politicians who were elected into power by the people to govern their countries subject to the provisions of the constitution and the law. However, once the leaders assumed the presidency, they ignored the constitution under which they were elected and replaced it with one tailored to their political ambitions, using the broad powers assigned to them to remain in power indefinitely. This is what Presidents Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, Evo Morales in Bolivia, Rafael Correa in Ecuador, Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua, and Nayib Bukele in El Salvador have all done. Hurtado explains the paradox of this new Latin American authoritarian trend occurring when, for the first time in the history of the subcontinent, democratic institutions governed in all countries, with the sole exception of Cuba.

Weight: 614g
Dimension: 158 x 236 x 29 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781538171073