Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-08-01
Democracy on Moch in Lotin America Il dsnt Arrived
~ Henry b. Lee

OOWMulto0S fcCeut setback III
Guatemala has called the worlds at
tention to the motley array Of de-
rnocracies. pseudo-democracies and
out-and-out relationships which rule
Latin America. There are lots of
bad jokes about South American
backwardness, all Of them stressing
the unabaShedly dictatorial COM
plexion Of many administrations
But all their governments aren't
undemocratic.
"A survey Of Latin American re-
publics shows that their progress
toward democratic government has
been slow but sure. At least one
country. Uruguay. has "purer" de-
nnocracy than the United States. by
conventional standards.
Nations south Of the border have
been taking two steps toward de-
mocracy, then one step backward.
In this evolutionary process. die.
tators have overthrown democratic
governments but have retained some
democratic features in the new gov
eminent. This process has operated
somewhat like the Hegelian prin-
ciple of action, reaction and syn
thesis.
In the twilight of World War II
several democratic governments
came into power. Then there be-
gan a reaction In 1913 that ousted
them and left democracy at a low
ebb. Some observers regarded this
as the death knell of Latin Ameri-
can democracy. But it is now on
the march in several new countries
Even some dictators are paying
certain homage to it.
Democracy Defined
To evaluate the current status of
democracy in each country. democ-
racy must first be defined. 1t vests
political power in the people, who
express their suffrage through free
political parties in free elections.
Majority win Of the people must
prevail in the elected government.
with due regard for minority rights.
The practice Of political democ-
racy requires freedom Of worship.
information and assembly.
Political democracy must develop
Q large middle class through such
social benefits as universal educa-
ton, social security and an ade-
quate land system. It must MAIN
tain It's middle class through eco
nomic rights for labor. property and
private enterprise.
. Uruguay GA points)-This stout
little. democracy has stood for As
years as a model of what free insti-
tutions can do for free men. Bloody
civil wars and dictators were FREE
quent in the 10th century. Now its
citizens, mostly middle class. COM
pose q two-party system that elects
q governing council in the executive
branch Of the government instead OF
q President.
Uruguay is the only Latin Ameri-
can republic that doesn't permit a.
state of siege to be declared. an in
strument often used by strong presi-
dents to usurp power. Its small army
stays out of politics.
. Costa Ricd Ga points, - The
democratic tradition OF this country
was halted briefly in 1948 by weird
combination of interests. Its govern
ing party, its Communist Party, and
invading troops from Nicaragua
tried to void the free election of an
opposition party. The people left
their work in the fields and force
fully restored the democracy they
had learned to love.
This incident was a tribute to
their democracy-not q setback. It
also helped refute the theory that
democracy and bananas can't grow
on the same soil.
. Brazil (13 points, -After ruling
as a dictator from 1880 to 1945,
Getulio Vargas is now the constitu-
tionally elected President. Brazil
meets all the tests Of democracy but
the one on suffrage. Illiterates
can't vote
While the army sometimes med
dies in politics. it isn't considered
an immediate threat. The govern
ment frequently intervenes in BUSH
ness, but private enterprise is still
the driving force in the nations
economy.
. Chile (13 points, Carlos Ibanez
del Campo. q dictator in the 1920s,
is now the constitutionally elected
President In this democracy Of the
French permanent cabinet crisis
type.
Chile meets the same tests as Bra
Eli, but it has unfortunately wrecked
its economy by granting too many
social and economic benefits. If
spiraling imitation isn't soon halted,
o military dictatorship or even
Communist coalition government
may be the unhappy result.
. Merico (121a points)-This ma
ton. where every political outcast
can ind home and every political
idea can find an audience, heads q
group OF countries proceeding to-
ward democracy. It has q one
party political system In which ma
jority rule Is not assured. The gov
eminent Is, however, very respon-
sive to public opinion and minority
rights.
There is more unbridled, free
thought here than perhaps any
where in the world. The Institu-
tional Revolutionary Party has been
In power since the benevolent die
tator, Porfirio Diaz, was thrown out
in 1911.
. BoliUid t11la points This coun-
try made its reputation producing
tin and revolutions and now is pro-
ducing democracy.
President Paz Estenssoro's govern
ment was freely elected in 1851 but
had to shoot its way into office. Once
there, it gave suffrage to the litter
ates and Indians. who compose most
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