International Symposium organized by Latin American Association, January 27, 1993 in Tokyo

Democratization in Latin America: global and theoretical perspectives / Arturo Valenzuela. pp. 7-36

Democratization in South America: developments and prospects / Oscar Oszlak. pp. 37-62

An ambiguous democracy: democratization in Latin America viewed from Central American Standpoints / Xabier Gorostiaga. pp. 68-97

Fujimori's "autogolpe" and democratization in Latin America / Shigeo Osonoi. pp. 98-114

While the world situation after the end of East-West cold war has been undergoing drastic changes, the tendency of democratization is gaining strength day by day in Latin America, and considerable hopes are placed on its wholesome development.
However, democracy contains many factors to be examined carefully, such as regional and historical characteristics, ethnic composition, socio-economic backgrounds, etc. In order to grasp its true nature, points of view with compound eyes and multilateral approaches are necessary.
It is for this consideration that the international symposium on the theme "Is democracy taking root in Latin America?" was held on January 27 of this year in Tokyo in which scholars including three proffesors invited from abroad and governments officials in charge og Latin American issues participated as panelists, and had lively debates. A large attendance, which far exceeded our expectations and their active participation in the discussion testify to a strong interest people take in this subject.