Comparative Constitutional Reform in Latin America

Some constitutional amendments are not really amendments.They are transformative constitutional reforms that reject the essential characteristics of the constitution and destroy its foundations.These constitutional dismemberments demolish the basic structure of the constitution while at the same time building a new foundation rooted in principles contrary to the old.Latin America has been particularly susceptible to constitutional dismemberments.This book draws from law, history, and politics both to demonstrate that Latin American constitutions have been the target of constitutional dismemberment and to explain the social and political forces behind these transformative reforms as well as their consequences.The outstanding contributors to this volume apply the concept of constitutional dismemberment systematically across the region in some of the world’s most fascinating jurisdictions for the study of constitutional change: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvado