The focus for students of Latin America in the past decade has been on the political forces of the left and the so-called "pink tide" presidencies attempting to bring about social and economic change in the region. However, there has been far less attention paid to the rightwing political forces resisting such change. Such opposition is being orchestrated by political parties, business, the private media and other social and cultural institutions and is linked to the "soft power" of US diplomacy. In recent years its activities have often appeared to challenge the democratic process itself....