Could Gradual Reform Have Created Liberal Democracies in Latin America, or is Revolution Necessary?

Could a process of gradual reform and development, a la Europe, have turned the "old" Latin American countries (those not colonized under liberal Bourbon rule) into North American (or rather, Costa Rican) style relatively equal liberal democracies, or was the criollo oligarchy too self-sustaining to be extirpated except through a violent social revolution, in the style of Morelos and Hidalgo? I think, given the Costa Rican example, that a gradual transformation is possible, though difficult.
 
The British had an interest in preserving the colonial-style plantation economies in Latin America, so they have to be kept out of Latin America somehow, as does the US from the 1890s on.
 
Revolution is necessary. Europe was less gradual than we think -- it took two World Wars to really extirpate Old West values from the continent.

In Latin America, you had a lethal combination of regionalism, class division between criollos, Peninsulares and peasants, political divisions between urban liberals and rural reactionaries, a tendency to imitate American presidentialism or Napoleon Bonaparte, and politically independent armies. This allowed for exploitation by foreign powers -- Britain had already become entrenched over decades of the asiento, and America would soon do much of the same things Britain used to do.

Costa Rica took specific factors and got extremely, extremely lucky.
 
Revolution is necessary. Europe was less gradual than we think -- it took two World Wars to really extirpate Old West values from the continent.

In Latin America, you had a lethal combination of regionalism, class division between criollos, Peninsulares and peasants, political divisions between urban liberals and rural reactionaries, a tendency to imitate American presidentialism or Napoleon Bonaparte, and politically independent armies. This allowed for exploitation by foreign powers -- Britain had already become entrenched over decades of the asiento, and America would soon do much of the same things Britain used to do.

Costa Rica took specific factors and got extremely, extremely lucky.
This may very well be the first and last time I say this, but you are spot-on.
 
Latin America, so far from God and so close to the Corte Ingles...
Between the Perfiduous Albion and the US of A... We had it hard from the start. It's why I love Latin American wanks that, at the least ensure we get a fighting chance (From Mexico winning or just not losing as hard, to Central America or Gran Colombia keeping it together, to Peru having an Incan rennaissance, etcetera).
 
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