1. 19.1 Case Study: Latin American Democracies CST 10.10.1,2,3
Democracy
19.1
Case Study: Latin American Democracies
CST ,2,3

2. Making Democracy Work Four Common Practices Free Elections
Citizen Participation
Majority rule, minority rights
Constitutional government

3. Making Democracy Work (refer to the chart on pg. 599)
Conditions that contribute to building a democracy
1. More than 1 political party
2. A stable economy, high levels of literacy and education.
3. A belief in individual rights & guaranteed freedoms of speech, assembly, and press
4. Rule of law

4. Steering Brazil Toward Democracy
Brazilian leaders took the following actions to stabilize the economy
Developed industry
Encouraged foreign investment
Redistributed the land
Although Brazil still has economic problems, their government continues on the path of democracy because they hold free elections.

5. Current President of Brazil Luis Inacio Lula da Silva

6. Ending One Party Rule of the PRI in Mexico
2 crises threatened democracy in Mexico.
: Massacre of protesters in the Aztec ruins
2. Early 1980’s: The economic decline following the drop in oil and natural gas prices. The drop cut Mexican revenues in half.

7. Ending One Party Rule of the PRI in Mexico
The 1997 elections denied the PRI control of Mexico’s congress and paved the way for multiparty rule when Vincente Fox was elected El Presidente

8. Mexico’s Democracy Moves Forward
Presidente Fox advocated the following reforms
Reforming the police
Rooting out political corruption
Ending the rebellion in Chiapas
Opening Mexico to free market forces
Lobbying for the interests of Mexico’s 22 million citizens who live abroad

9. Vincente Fox,

10. Current President of Mexico Felipe Calderon

11. Ending Repression in Argentina
After Juan and Eva Peron’s rule (a dictatorship), the military took control in 1976.
Under military rule:
The economy was ruined
Increased acts of oppression and terrorism
Brutal suppression of basic rights and freedoms. Several thousand Argentines had simply disappeared, kidnapped by their own gov’t.

12. Ending Repression in Argentina
In 1983, Argentines had the first free elections in 37 years.
In 2002, Argentina had an unemployment rate of about 24% and they defaulted on $132 billion of debt (the largest default in history)
Although they continue to struggle to regain political & economic footing, they held free elections in 2003 and 2007.

13. Current President of Argentina
As of December 10, 2007, Christina Fernandez de Kirchner was sworn in as the first female president of Argentina.