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The democtratic governance agenda of the Organization of American States.
- Article from:
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MACLAS Latin American Essays
- Article date:
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March 1, 2002
- Author:
- Adams, Francis
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Copyright informationCOPYRIGHT 2002 Middle Atlantic Council of Latin American Studies. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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"The peoples of the American have a right to democracy and their governments have an obligation to promote and defend it." These words open the "Inter-American Democratic Charter" which was recently drafted by the Organization of American States (OAS). The charter goes on to specify procedures to follow should the constitutional system of any member state be threatened or interrupted. While the OAS champions the Democratic Charter as an important step in the hemispheric defense of democracy, people throughout Latin America have good reason for skepticism. Despite the transition from authoritarian rule, politics remains an exclusive club, with power concentrated in the lands of ...