ABSTRACT
One of the most serious lacks in contemporary Latin America is leadership. A critical factor in mobilizing developmental advances in any part of the world, leadership has been in serious decline globally for most of the past generation. In the world as a whole the high point with respect to political leadership was the middle of the twentieth century. Latin America has a very deep and widespread tradition, far more pronounced than in any other part of the world, of seemingly discredited leaders making surprising, often stunning, political comebacks. Aside from the merits of individual leaders, there has been progress in the broader picture of who holds and exercises power. A century ago entrenched economic elites dominated Latin American politics, often almost unchallenged; seventy years ago the impact of the world economic crisis was the determinant factor; then forty years ago the military became the arbiter of national destiny throughout the region.
