The Politics of Latin American Development

by Gary W. Wynia

This popular introduction to Latin American politics probes behind the current events and reveals the fundamental economic and political dynamics shaping events and driving policy. Using the paradigm of politics as a game, domestic and foreign players are identified and the rules that govern their interaction are described. This analytical framework is then used in detailed analyses of the strategies of development that have dominated Latin American politics. Chapters are devoted to democratic reform, military authoritarianism, and revolutionary politics with detailed examples from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, and Venezuela. This third edition brings all national cases up to date, analyzing the rise of democratic governance as well as the challenges presented by unprecedented foreign debts. Special attention is given to the restoration of constitutional democracy in Argentina and Brazil, and a systematic comparison of the movements in those countries is developed. More information and analysis on Cuba and Nicaragua are provided and emphasis is given to the 1988 election in Mexico. New material on the foreign debt crisis, the Roman Catholic Church, and the armed forces is also given.

368 pages, Paperback

First published July 28, 1978

About the author

Gary Wynia, an internationally recognized expert on Latin America, was a former chairman of Carleton College's Political Science Department.

In 1969, after receiving his Ph.D. in political science from the University of Wisconsin, he moved to St. Paul to join the faculty at the University of Minnesota. In 1983, Carleton College wooed him a professor of international relations at Carleton.

Fluent in Spanish and an expert on Argentina, Wynia wrote several books, including a popular text on Latin America. He even accompanied former Vice President Walter Mondale and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to Argentina on official visits, introducing them to the nation's political leaders.

He died after a lengthy illness of brain cancer. He was 65.