ABSTRACT
The consolidation of electoral democracy has taken place rapidly in Latin America. Politics is important. Political actors are strategic. Advances in Latin American democracy could be reversed if the political culture and the forms and practices of democracy itself are not reinforced. Citizen participation is a key element. Nevertheless, democracy is not reduced to elections alone; it also entails the full (political, civilian, social, and economic) exercise of effective public participation. Without such participation, governance and democratic coexistence is precarious.
