How did the military affect politics in 20th century Latin America?

In general, the militaries of various Latin American countries
affected politics by controlling the government at times in the countries'
histories.

In many Latin American countries, the army was the most
organized and cohesive force in the country. These countries had weak commitments to democracy
(at best) and civilian governments often descended into chaos. When this would happen, the
military would often step in and overthrow the government in an attempt to create stability. The
military might then install a dictator like Juan Peron in Argentina or it might create a military
junta to rule by committee.

The military interventions were not
always motivated by a need for stability. At times, the military would simply intervene because
military commanders did not like the direction that policies were taking in the country. An
example of this is the overthrow of the Allende government in Chile by Augusto
Pinochet.

Throughout the 20th century, many Latin American countries
were ruled by their militaries at some point. In this way, the military had a huge impact on
politics in the region.