Guatemala 1963-1970: the limits to democratisation.
Abstract
The subject of this thesis is the transition from de facto
military rule to constitutional civilian government in Guatemala
between 1963 and 1970. The focus is upon the limits to
democratisation inherent in this process at a time of intense
political polarisation and increasing militarisation. The work
opens with a consideration of the debates that emerged in the
context of the political transitions in Latin America during the
1980s. The second chapter charts the central characteristics of
a foundational period in Guatemalan politics between 1944 and
1954 and argues that later political developments can only be
fully understood with reference to this earlier period. Chapter
Three addresses the military coup of 1963 and the period of
military government which followed. The emphasis is on the
effort to define the parameters of the Guatemalan political
process and the military response to the guerrilla challenge
which emerged after 1962. Chapter Four examines in detail the
elections of March 1966 and the political campaign which preceded
them. Particular consideration is given to the origins and
character of the pact signed with the military establishment
before the new government was permitted to take office. The
following two chapters present a case study of the civilian
government between 1966 and 1970. Chapter Five addresses the
rhetoric and reality of the government programme with respect to
three key policy areas and suggests that the failure to make
progress in each was indicative of the true limits to this
democratic experiment. The thematic focus of Chapter Six is
insurgency and counterinsurgency and the extensive political
violence which became the overarching feature of this period.
The thesis concludes with a brief examination of the 1970
elections and goes on to argue that the failure of
democratisation between 1963 and 1970 derived from the historic
absence of a liberal democratic consensus and the predominant
role of the military in the political process.
Authors
Vinegrad, AnnaCollections
- Theses [3831]