ABSTRACT
The option between democracy and its alternatives has been a central axis of political con- icts in Latin America since the early twentieth century. A prelude to these con icts was the process of state formation, which occupied the center stage of political life in the wake of the attainment of independence by Latin American countries roughly 200 years ago. But, inasmuch as the process of state formation resulted in a recognized center of political power and hence a semblance of political order, the struggle between forces in favor and opposed to subjecting political power to democratic control moved to the fore.
