Many Latin American states were organized under military power, whose influence became increasingly strong during the mid-60s, when the reign of the "bureaucratic authoritarian regimes" began with Branco and the Brazilian coup of 1964.

Regimes are systems of rule over mass publics instituted among a coalition of a nation's dominant political figures and actors. Regimes are different from administrations and governments in that they are based on lasting political rules and as each regime changes there is a shift in the basic political rules. Bureaucratic-Authoritarian regimes became possible during the Cold War Era where communist and democratic tensions were high. Ideas such as Pan-Americanism, the fight against communism, and the defense of democratic ideals caused a rise in military power.

Consequently, it became a time when many bilateral agreements were reached. North America extended economic support in exchange for a degree of control in South America. The U.S. would help Latin American countries as long as they did not turn to communism. This new alliance allowed military officers and technical personnel from Latin America to train in the U.S. in what was known as the School of the Americas. The U.S. helped facilitate the rise of the bureaucratic-authoritarian regime.
Political regimes persist based upon; they must constantly satisfy an objective of managing the state and economy so as to benefit coalition members enough to keep hold of their loyalty. Regimes therefore continued capitalist expansion in order to maximize economic growth. The elite used corporatism as a mechanism to control the working class.

Bureaucratic-Authoritarianism used corporatism to manipulate the lower classes into believing that the class gap was lessened and that elites were meant to rule in national interest. Regimes must worry about problems within and outside of the state. Regimes must keep their opponents unheard or content and out of sight. This led to the repressive rule of many of the military regimes such as that of Pinochet. Those who disagreed with the regime were silenced or made to disappear.
There are many factors that can disrupt or destabilize a regime. International or domestic economic forces can undermine the political economy of a regime. Such forces may include very rapid economic growth, or a sharp economic downturn. Powerful external actors may withdraw support and resources from a regime. Internal actors may become active and challenge a regime if external support is withdrawn. Regimes have huge social costs and can have high levels of unemployment as well. The same forces that led to power could also lead to the fall of a regime.

The restructuring of the international economy through the years and the process of globalization has made military rule almost outmoded. Regimes are rapidly losing the economic and political power it accumulated throughout the past decades. Regimes no longer have the stronghold they once had in Latin America.