Democracy Better in Latin America
Led by Chile and Costa Rica, governments throughout Latin America are showing increasing commitments to democracy, an international research group said Wednesday.

Those two nations led the region in overall democratic development, according to the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. Venezuela and Guatemala scored the lowest of the 18 countries surveyed.

The group said it based its findings on an index that factors in free elections, civil liberties, political party participation, among other components.

Lead investigator Jorge Arias said democracy in the region is making headway despite periodic setbacks including recent unrest in Ecuador, where the elected president was forced from power by the legislature.

He added that impatience among Latin American populations hinders the region's democratic development at times.

"In general, we Latin Americans value democracy very much when we understand that it protects our rights," he said. "We don't value it very much when it goes against them."

Other international reports have been less optimistic about Latin America's efforts at democracy.

In October, Transparency International released rankings which found that much of Latin America remains troubled by corruption with Chile and Uruguay scoring highest on standards of ethical leadership.

The reports come amid a backdrop of democratic elections approaching next month, including presidential contests in Chile and Bolivia.