Throughout the history of Latin America there have been many revolutions that have reshaped the political fabric of the entire continent. This thesis will seek to explore the impact that the following three movements have had: The Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) in El Salvador, Las Fuerzas Armadas de la República de Colombia (FARC), and the Tupamaros (MLN-T) in Uruguay. When examining these three movements the research will include histories and discussions of each revolution and text regarding the strength of democracy within the countries. These sections will then be supported with data regarding democracy and the people’s perspectives on democracy. The success of these movements will be judged primarily on the strength of the democracy in the country they are based, and additionally by the role that have played in the formation of these democratic principles.
Research into the guerilla groups will discuss their origins, and the primary reasons for their armed resistance to their governments. In addition, these sources will go into detail regarding the individual movement’s histories. The data from the censuses from source like LatinoBarómetro, and Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP) will help provide constructive polling and data on the strength of democracy in the respective countries.
This paper will seek to examine the guerilla and political movements in a historical and practical perspective. The beginning of the paper will examine the history of democratic and political revolutions and provide an in depth description of the history of guerilla movements in Latin America. Then the evaluation of the groups will provide practical examples of the impact that guerilla movements have had on democracy within Latin America. Finishing with a discussion of the impacts that the groups have played on democracy within their specific countries.