Right, but anyway, democracy is now flourishing in most of Latin America. Probably the most famous democratic success story is South Africa, which jettisoned decades of apartheid in the 1990s and elected former dissident Nelson Mandela as its first black president in 1994. It also adopted one of the most progressive constitutions in the world. But it's worth remembering that democracy and economic success don't always go hand in hand as much as some Americans wish they would. Many new African democracies continue to struggle. The same is true in some Latin American countries, and China has shown that you don't need democracy in order to experience economic growth. But for a few countries, especially Brazil and India, the combination of democracy and economic liberalism has unleashed impressive growth that has lifted millions out of poverty.