Human Rights, Democracy and Development in Latin America

In the late 1 9 8 0 s, the return to political democracy and civilian regimes in numerous Latin American countries was widely hailed as heralding an end to the major violations of human rights which had become a matter of urgent international concern. This paper argues that the end of military dictatorships does not necessarily usher in an era of democracy nor does it put an end to abuses of human rights. Indeed, the sources of such abuses are to be found in the structural conditions of Latin America's economies and societies, which lead to social polarization and inequality as well as to the non-participation of the majority of the people in the political process. Singled out in this process is the agrarian structure, the traditional forms of power-wielding, the uneven process of urbanization and the creation of an urban marginal underclass. The situation has been compounded by the internationalization of the national economies and the piling up of foreign debt. Not only governments, but also non-state actors, such as drug traffickers and anti-systemic guerilla movements, are guilty of violations of buman rights. Particularly vulnerable are the continent's indigenous peoples, who now demand respect for their individual and collective rights.