European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 27, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse In Lily Magazine demise of the dictator generals by James f. Smith los Angeles timezone by one. Dictators grudgingly gave Way to politicians acres South America during the last decade finally Only Gen aug isto Pinochet the prototype of the Anli communist ruler general was left in the country with the one of the strongest democratic traditions on the continent then in the last month of the 1980s. Chile 0ined South America s remarkable peaceful evolution toward democracy electing a civilian president Lor the first Lime in 19 years when Veteran politician Patricio aylm takes the oath of office there in March succeeding Pinochet. South America will have crossed an unprecedented threshold never before since they began emerging in the Early 1800s, have All of the continent s dozen Independent countries been ruled by elected governments at the same time but As that landmark approaches some sceptics Are wondering whether the pendulum is about to Start swinging Back and whether More coups lie ahead in the 1990s weak governments Are being challenged by a relentless economic slide and the popular discontent it has engendered politicians themselves Are distinctly out of Lavor. Candidates running As non politicians and and politicians have triumphed in several elections the worst Case scenario in the Region is that voters will turn to leftists and populists who will open the spending spigots bring on chaos and prompt another swing Back to authoritarian Rule. Some Are equally afraid of harsh right Wing Shock adjustment plans that punish the poor to the breaking Point setting off violence with the same result elite a venezuelan news Magazine commented recently that social tensions everywhere Are on the Rise " it said that he Region s new economic austerity programs May arouse Strong popular resistance and Tail leading to chaos the situation that Bolivia faced from 1984-1986 it is now faced a Argentina and Peru and May not be far away for Colombia and Venezuela even Brazil which had improved spectacularly after 1982. Gives the impression of being adrift there is no denying that what we see today is the end of a half Century of populism and the dashing of the old dream of combining economic growth with social elite said social inequalities Are increasing and. With them the danger of social breakdown and violence Peru is South America s most troubled democracy with a triple threat of hyper inflation guerrilla War and drug trafficking but others also Are under siege buried by More than $440 billion in foreign debt declining real incomes and soaring prices Bolivia for example has imposed a slate of siege to try to keep its Model economic recovery program on track m the face of worker demands Argentina is groping to impose such a program but resistance Irum vested interests has under Ned president Carlos Saul a enem s authority less than months Afler he took Oil ice in july from a predecessor quit Early because of caused by econ Orr c woes american Jens Are bitter and rust aled the absence of benefits from civilian Rule we need a said Miguel Fernandez a 50 year old truck Driver in Lima. Peru whose business had ailed forcing he to drive car As a Gypsy taxi with words that find echoes in several countries he added democracy does t he p the worker the politicians have tailed completely democracy exists Here on in name the abuse of the Peop o always is the same Here Wilh or without democracy a Pinochet is the Only Way to halt this descent " Enrique Bernales a leftist senator from Peru warns against exactly that scenario asked if Peru is in danger of a coup he replied. I Don t think so. But the danger is alter the april election if the next government does t achieve some Basic agreements it could Lead to the destabilization of democracy and i Don i want democracy in Peru to end like thai in Chile in 1973 with the errors of the led leading 10 the errors of the right disgust with politicians is widespread in Peru and elsewhere and troubling to those who want political institutions to flourish in municipal elections in no Ember a non Poi tin in television Persona Ity Ricardo been Ion was elected a i or of Lima and conservative no Elisa Mario Vargas Llosa is leading in the presidential Campa in citizens heavily to coed Mun c pal elections in december in Venezio a where an austerity program has hard last year Selling 011 riots in february that left More than 200 dead b Azil an by and poor nation went through be g e jitters in the weeks before its presidential in december ill in at on Surg no and the currency Ping no As left ving candidate Luis Ignacio la a Narro cd when Patricia Aylwin of Chile above succeeds Augusta Pinochet in March it will be the first time since the 1800s that All of South America s countries have been ruled by elected governments at the same time. The Gap Wilh his foe. Fernando Collor do my to Collor narrowly won the election on the strength of his Campaign against the government bureaucrats known As maharajas " some political scientists openly predicted a coup in Lula won and the economic nose dive continued despite such concerns other observers cite evidence that the transition to democratic Rule is Uii in
