Vol. XII, No. 5 



WASHINGTON 



May, 1901 



Sfh 



Vj 



MATKOMAIL 

 ©(SmAIPMB 

 A(SAM 



ifnl 



Q 



THE LATIN-AMERICAN CONSTITUTIONS 

 AND REVOLUTIONS 



By John W. Foster, Ex-Secretary of State 



ON attaining their independence, 

 the lyatin-American republics 

 modeled their forms of govern- 

 ment after that of the United States. 

 In almost all their constitutions the 

 article relating to the executive power, 

 like that of the United States, contained 

 no prohibition against the reelection of 

 the President. But a bitter and bloody 

 experience has caused them, with nearly 

 the same degree of unanimity, to revise 

 their constitutions in this respect. 



The provisions of the existing consti- 

 tutions of those countries relating to the 

 executive may be briefly enumerated as 

 follows : In Mexico the president is 

 chosen for four years by an electoral col- 

 lege, and no prohibition exists against a 

 reelection. The cause of this exception 

 to the general practice will be referred 

 to later. The secretary of foreign re- 

 lations succeeds to the presidency on the 

 death or disability of the president and 

 orders a new election. In the five Cen- 

 tral American States the provisions A^ary 

 as to the manner of election and term 

 of office, but in most of them the presi- 

 dent is made ineligible for reelection 



for the next succeeding term. So, also 

 the prohibition against reelection to be 

 noted in the countries which follow is 

 in almost all cases for the next suc- 

 ceeding term only. In Colombia the 

 president is chosen by an electoral col- 

 lege for a period of six years, and is 

 made ineligible for reelection. Ecua- 

 dor elects its president by the direct 

 vote of the people for the term of four 

 A^ears, and he cannot be reelected. The 

 vice-president is elected for the same 

 term, but two years after the president. 

 Peru elects its president bj^ a direct pop- 

 ular vote for four years, and he is made 

 ineligible for the next four years. Two 

 vice-presidents are elected. Bolivia has 

 the same provision as Peru. In Chile 

 the president is elected by delegates 

 chosen by the people for the term of 

 five years, and he is made ineligible for 

 the next term. The Argentine Repub- 

 lic elects its president by electors chosen 

 by the fourteen provinces for six years, 

 and both the president and vice-president 

 are declared ineligible for reelection. In 

 Uruguay the president is elected for four 

 5'ears, and made ineligible for the sue- 



