In Venezuela , voters have granted sweeping powers to President Hugo Chavez , an army colonel who in 1992 attempted a military coup. The history of democracy in Latin America is one of advances and setbacks. The climate for democracy in Latin America today is in many ways the best it has ever been, largely due to the end of the cold war. Washington is no longer helping to overthrow elected left-wing governments. The end of the cold war has also led to the abandonment of armed struggle by Marxist guerrillas in El Salvador, Guatemala and other nations.
Peace is good for democracy.
In those two countries, it has allowed civilians to assert greater control over the military, and peace agreements have helped make shallow democracies deeper and more inclusive. In Chile , for example, when the nation's civilian leaders have attempted to prosecute military officers for Pinochet-era offenses, soldiers have responded with shows of insubordination. But this has not led Chile's upper class, the military's traditional backer, to call for a coup, in part because Chile's wealthy fear a reaction from the country's trading partners. But the world is not as willing to focus critical attention on political systems that fall short of outright dictatorship. More important, voters will grant their leaders autocratic powers when they do not believe democracy has helped them.