Class Struggle and Democratisation in Central America: Historical Trajectories and Legacies

Central America displayed extraordinary political divergence in the twentieth century, from the early liberal democracy of Costa Rica to the persistent dictatorships of El Salvador and Guatemala, and the unique Sandinista Revolution of Nicaragua. Despite the emphasis on the later regional convergence around a common model of liberal democracy and economic neoliberalism, political systems continued to exhibit notable contrasts in the scope of democratisation, the configuration of party systems, and voter turnout levels. This book explains the significant differences in Central American democratisation processes and political systems as the product of divergences in the resolution of three critical junctures that defined distinct historical trajectories of class struggle. Each of these trajectories generated specific historical legacies that account for the configuration of the resulting political systems and provide keys to understanding the subsequent dynamics of political conflict. Through this analysis, the book contributes to the elaboration of a more advanced theory of democratisation, grounded in a conflictual, relational, and historical approach with a broader view of democratisation.