Figure 3.19: FIGURE 3.19 PHOTO ESSAY: Power and Politics in Middle and South AmericaAn expansion of political freedoms is well under way in Middle and South America, although there are still many barriers to this process. Decades of elite and military rule, combined with rampant corruption and political repression, have at times inspired resistance in the form of popular revolutionary movements that attempt to take control of governments by force. The ensuing wars and brutal repression by governments and militants has cost many lives. The drug trade is also a major political force, with huge amounts of illicit cash being used to pay off elected officials, civil servants, police forces, and the military. Nevertheless, in the region as a whole, there has been a decline in political violence in recent decades.
