ABSTRACT
Introduction An attempt to describe military administrations within the Latin American region is a considerable challenge considering the space limitations for one book chapter. After all, Latin America is a region encompassing thirty-five states (members of the Organization of American States, with Cuba’s membership suspended since 1962) with very diverse territorial and population sizes, economic potentials, and industrial bases (see Table 18.1.). For instance, El Salvador’s territory is similar to that of Massachusetts, while Brazil’s is comparable to that of the entire United States. Similarly, whereas El Salvador is populated by about 7 million people, Brazil’s population is close to 190 million. Their ethnic composition, historical conditions and legacy, culture and national traditions, and internal and international political dynamics also differ. That is not to say that Latin American states have nothing in common with each other; the point is merely to avoid the misperception that all Latin American states are identical, which is not true and may lead to false simplifications.
