▁inher ent ▁trait ▁in ▁the ▁region ". ▁According ▁to ▁Gar cia ▁Cal der on , ▁the ▁legacy ▁of ▁colonial ism ▁in ▁Latin ▁America ▁has ▁often ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁rise ▁of ▁an ▁absolute ▁authority , ▁which ▁see ks ▁to ▁contain ▁a ▁nation ' s ▁inner ▁conflict . ▁Once ▁in ▁power , ▁the ▁man ▁in ▁charge ▁often ▁see ks ▁complete ▁control ; ▁he ▁often ▁am ends ▁constitution s , ▁dis m ant ling ▁laws ▁which ▁previously ▁prevent ed ▁his ▁re - e lection . ▁For ▁example , ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 9 ▁General ▁Manuel ▁E str ada ▁Cab rera ▁alter ed ▁the ▁Gu atem al an ▁Constitution ▁which ▁had ▁previously ▁prohib ited ▁his ▁re - e lection . ▁Typ ically , ▁however , ▁dict ator ▁nov els ▁attempt ▁to ▁examine ▁the ▁abstract ▁nature ▁of ▁authority ▁figures ▁and ▁to ▁question ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁authority ▁in ▁general ▁instead ▁of ▁foc using ▁on ▁the ▁rule ▁of ▁a ▁particular ▁dict ator . ▁ ▁Ast ur ias ' s ▁text ▁marks ▁a ▁dram atic ▁shift ▁in ▁narr ative ▁writing . ▁P rec urs ors ▁such ▁as ▁Dom ingo ▁S arm iento ' s ▁Fac undo ▁( 1 8 4 5 ) ▁were ▁jud ged ▁on ▁how ▁ade qu ately ▁they ▁reflected ▁reality . ▁With ▁its ▁st yl ized ▁magic ▁real ism , ▁Ast ur ias ' s ▁ ▁broke ▁from ▁this ▁real ist ▁parad ig m — it ▁is ▁an ▁avant - gar de ▁novel ▁that ▁laid ▁the ▁foundation ▁for ▁many ▁other ▁authors ▁to ▁develop ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁a