Ex-military Members Seeking Office in Latin America

I have not commented yet about tomorrow's election in Peru largely because I'm completely unimpressed with the three major candidates, but also because it brings yet another example of a disturbing trend in recent Latin American elections: the candidacy of former military officers in presidential elections.

Latin America's history has presented us with far too many examples of the military committing coups against civilian governments. The military mindset in Latin America has far too often exhibited an authoritarian tendency and has mistaken power and armed might for legitimacy. Despite the fact that recent history has given credence that democracy is on the rise in Latin America, military coups remain a distinct possibility.

I find it disturbing that former coup leaders have been allowed to run for office in countries like Guatemala, Venezuela* and Ecuador and have served as president in Ecuador, Venezuela and Bolivia in recent years.

One of Latin America's gravest problems has been the ongoing disparity in class. Much of this disparity is tied to race and economics. It is cruel, it is degrading to the poor and the ethnically oppressed (I cannot use minority as in some cases - Guatemala being an excellent example - the ethnic majority is being oppressed).

The answer to this, however, is not the rise to power of those hurling invective back at the former ruling class, but someone to put the past in its proper perspective and seek to unite the nation. There is no better example of this than Nelson Mandela.

This was a man who was imprisoned for nearly thirty years for treason in a nation that refused to allow him to vote because of the color of his skin, that required those who shared his race to live in certain areas, restricted all of their freedoms and tortured and murdered even the peaceful dissidents like Steven Biko.

Yet Mandela, without bitterness and without vindictiveness, found a way to account for the suffering of the past and set South Africa on a strong course for the future. More should follow his path.

*Yes I know that Hugo Chávez himself was the victim of a coup attempt, something which I strongly and unequivocally condemn. He also lead a coup in 1992, something which I strongly and unequivocally condemn. There's a solution to bad and corrupt governments: elections.