Devastated by decades of civil wars, the isthmus is still struggling with democratization and economic recovery, as well as contending with criminal violence.

The end of political, armed conflict 15 years ago has not been accompanied by higher levels of social peace. On the contrary, fear and lawlessness today are rampant in the region.

Central America's unlikely route to liberal democracy may not have been perceived as leading to durable regimes. However, democracy has been resilient and even stable in Central America. Indeed, Central Americans, accustomed to being perceived as poor and unstable by their Mexican and South American brethren, have been smug about the locus of Latin America's ills being shifted to South America.

Latin Americans might have expected, after following the free-market economic policies of the ‘Washington consensus’ for a dozen years, that the region would have begun to savor the fruits of openness. But with some exceptions—notably Chile, Costa Rica, and much of Mexico—the fruit has turned out to be bitter, as economic openness appears to have accelerated social disintegration.

Latin America's democracies are not in danger of collapse at this time. But there are many real problems, and not many indications that these problems are being addressed with imagination and determination.