Abstract

ROMERO, María José. Plebiscites and Rules in the Transition to Democracy: Chile and Uruguay. Rev. Urug. Cienc. Polít. [online]. 2009, vol.18, n.1, pp.117-136. ISSN 1688-499X.

This paper studies comparatively the processes of transition to democracy in Chile and Uruguay, analyzing the developed interaction between the authoritarian governments on the one hand, and the democratic opposition on the other, as well as between political parties and the social movements. The result of the constitutional plebiscite in 1980 generated different institutional dynamics and positioning in each case. While in Chile the result strengthened even more the authoritarian government and weakened the democratic opposition, in Uruguay, it was the opposition that strengthened its strategy, forcing the authoritarian government to try a negotiated way out. The democratic opposition in each country showed different possibilities and capacities at the time of formulating a strategy that finally allowed a change of regime.

Keywords : Rules; Authoritarian Regime; Transitions.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )