A caudillo (/ k ɔː ˈ d iː (l) j oʊ, k aʊ ˈ-/ kaw-DEE(L)-yoh, kow-, Spanish: [kawˈðiʎo]; Old Spanish: cabdillo, from Latin capitellum, diminutive of caput "head") is a type of personalist leader wielding military and political power. [1]

caudillo, Latin American military dictator. In the wake of the Latin American independence movement in the early 19th century, politically unstable conditions and the long experience of armed conflict led to the emergence in many of the new countries of strongmen who were often charismatic and whose hold on power depended on control over armed ...

Deriving from the word caudillo, or strongman, caudillismo is a quintessential Latin American political phenomenon.

A caudillo (Spanish pronunciation: [kawˈdiʎo]; Old Spanish: cabdillo, from Latin capitellum, diminutive of caput "head". Caudillo means "little head" or "little chief") is part of the larger Iberian tradition of authoritarian leaders, with roots in the Iberian past, particularly in the Reconquista. [ 2 ]

Caudillismo, a system of political-social domination, based on the leadership of a strongman, that arose after the wars of independence from Spain in 19th-century Latin America. The Spanish word caudillo (“leader,” from the Latin capitellum [“small …

Dec 10, 2019 · Caudillismo is a system of political power based on the leadership of and allegiance to a "strongman," who is sometimes also recognized as a dictator. The term stems from the Spanish word "caudillo," which refers to the head of a political faction.

Oct 10, 2024 · It is a form of dictatorship in which an authoritarian leader, known as a Caudillo, holds power through personalistic and populist rule. The term originated from the Spanish word “caudillo,” meaning military commander or warlord.

Apr 12, 2025 · Dominican Republic - Caudillos, Dictatorship, Revolution: From 1844 until 1899 several caudillos (military strongmen) dominated the Dominican Republic, most notably Pedro Santana and Buenaventura Báez, two dictatorial presidents who prevented the growth of democracy and sold out the country to foreign and commercial interests. Santana’s …

Sep 30, 2013 · The term caudillo originates from the Spanish word for head, cabeza, and describes the leader of a political faction, often linked to a band of armed men. Used in Spain since the time of the Reconquista, the term became increasingly common in Spanish America during the wars of independence.

Jun 24, 2020 · The dictionary defines the word Caudillo as “a politician backed by a military force” and a study of Mexican history reveals a country that from its very beginning until well into the 20th Century was controlled by men whose had seized power by force rather than through the electoral process.