A jumble of partial democratizing initiatives in mid-century Latin America

Abstract

ABSTRACT The “second wave” metaphor is a convenient but somewhat misleading approximation to how the republics of Latin America adjusted to the post-1945 balance of world forces. In a short period the region experienced a reverberating jumble of democratizing experiments. Although these were loosely linked they were also fragmentary, unstable, and potentially clashing. These diverse, kaleidoscopic, and partially reversible processes developed unevenly over time, often recycling prewar concerns. They reflected competing understandings of what democracy might involve. Some features were highly localised, some expressed region-wide linkages, while global influences also played a part.