Table of Contents

Preface Introduction by Susanne Jonas The Dictatorship and Its Aftermath: The Secret Wounds by Eduardo Galeano The Construction of Democracy in Nicaragua by Susanne Jonas and Nancy Stein The Origins of Crisis and Instability in Central America by Edelberto Torres-Rivas Contradictions of Guatemala's "Political Opening" by Susanne Jonas The Redemocratization Process by James Petras Foreign Debt, the Threat of Foreign Intervention, and Democracy in Latin America by Pablo Gonzalez Casanova The Unpayable Debt: An Interview with Fidel Castro by Regino Diaz Twenty-Six Years of Cuban Revolutionary Politics: An Appraisal by Max Azicri Haiti: A Complex Situation and an Unknown Struggle by Gerard Pierre-Charles Economic Crisis and Dependency: The Case of the Dominican Republic by Jose A. Moreno Index

Promotional Information

Through the writings of leading Latin American and U.S. scholars, including James Petras, Pablo Gonzalez Casanova, and Max Azicri, the book addresses such important topics as whether Washington's model democracies are truly democratic, and how Guatemala's civilian regime compares to Nicaragua's revolutionary democracy. By covering countries as diverse as Cuba, Argentina, and Guatemala, the collection adds to an understanding of different models of democracy and challenges traditional methodologies used to evaluate them.

About the Author

SUSANNE JONAS teaches Latin American studies at the University of California at Santa Cruz. She has written extensively on Central America and is currently working on a book on Guatemala, as well as analytical articles concerning recent developments in Central America based on firsthand observation.

NANCY STEIN has researched and written extensively on U.S. policy toward Latin America with a focus on Central America and U.S. military policy. She is a former president and current board member of Global Options, a San Francisco-based research organization.