1) Clashing political projects. 2) Weak institutions. 3) Foreign interference.
Explanation:
Latin America has seen many turbulent political events in the two centuries since countries in the region gained independence of Spain: government takeovers, coups, and revolutions, among others. Three problems can be singled out when it comes to building stable state institutions in Latin America:
1) Clashing political projects: inequality in the region has led to politics being defined along sharper class lines than in other Western countries where living standards are higher. This meant that political projects are usually of two very distinct natures: a liberal project, pro-free trade, espoused by the more well-off high and middle classes, and a nationalist-popular project, espoused by the poor and low income classes. This polarization means common ground is hard to find between these two clashing political projects, which often ends up in one project being forced over the whole population.
2) Weak institutions: decades of political turmoil has meant that civilian institutions have not been properly developed. As the leaders of political projects have sought to impose their agenda by force, institutions haven't reached the stage where they can function independently of who's holding power, but they're still very dependent on ever changing political agendas.
3) Foreign interference. Ever since the Monroe Doctrine was first announced in 1823, the United States has been meddling in the internal affairs of Latin American countries. The Monroe Doctrine, formerly intended to keep Europe out of the Americas, gradually developed into the idea that the United States should keep Latin America as its "backyard". In practical terms, this means that covert and open sabotage has been put in practice against governments not termed to be friendly to the United States, as has been the case in Chile, Argentina, and Honduras, to name a few.
