Leaders in Latin America extend terms

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Remember the old stereotype of the cigar-chomping, camouflage-clad Latin American dictator?

That image, popularized by Graham Greene novels, movies such as Moon Over Parador and real-life leaders such as Cuba's Fidel Castro, had almost vanished over the past 20 years as democracy swept the region after the end of the Cold War.

However, some experts worry that a new generation of Latin American strongmen, or caudillos, is taking hold. They are generally civilians instead of soldiers, and they take office via elections instead of coups, but once in power they use every means available to extend their terms in office — by years or even decades.

One other common thread: almost all of them, including Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, are vocal opponents of Washington on drug policy, energy and other U.S. interests in the region...

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More at: http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2009-01-26-latin-america_N.htm?csp=34

Thatcher, 11 years.

It's hilarious that countering corrupt American hegemony makes you a "caudillo". Yeah, right!

until the right-wingers started realizing Democrats are more popular with the people of this country after FDR died in office in his FOURTH term, and they ran like madmen to find a way to keep a beloved Democrat from ever getting that chance again. They already KNEW it couldn't happen with a Republican in office!

The ones who intend to help the poor, rather than to bend over for those who exploit the poor, are the ones the people believe in.