Political Parties and Re-Democratisation in Latin America

The author will analyse the gradual shift from authoritarianism to democracy in the light of the different types of democracy which have occurred in Latin American societies. He will pay particular attention to the gradual shift from the national popular movement period in which democracy was viewed as a multi-sense phenomenon, to the current situation where the political sphere is more limited. The underlying factors for this shift, as well as the difficulties and implications for both social actors and the party system in LA societies are clearly spelled out. Also the lessons from experience of foreign political support on the process of democracy are dealt with. With respect to social actors, the author argues that in the national popular movement they were united by the search for a common goal: the end of the regime and the establishment of democracy. Now, generally speaking, nationalistic popular issues are replaced by democratic ones, and parties are left without a central unification principle. Hence, the social actors' search for a new identity in the changing transnational model of modernity. Concerning foreign political aid, the author argues that almost all the main parties have been affiliated to international organisations or federations of parties. Generally speaking, international political support has been perceived in a positive way. He concludes by indicating two areas on which donors may focus their future activities: support for a new relation between the state, political actors and civil society, including constitutional reforms, and support for the party system, which may include support for political parties. [author]