Too Much Power: Authoritarian Leaders in Spanish America

What is it like to live in a society where power is highly concentrated in the hands of one individual? The death of Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez (1954-2013) has stirred debate about political leadership, authoritarianism, populism, and democracy in Latin America. In this course we will study three very different authoritarian figures whose similarities enjoin us to rethink the borders between left and right: Hugo Chávez (in office 1999-2013), Fidel Castro (1961-2011), and Alberto Fujimori (1990-2000). In order to locate their regimes in their social, ideological, and historical contexts, materials will include their speeches and writings, along with novels, political theory, films, documentaries, news articles, pamphlets, and visual art. (At least two Spanish courses at the 0300-level or above, or by waiver)