ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Films depicting Latin American military dictatorships

Okay kiddo, let me explain.

Have you ever seen a movie where there's a bad guy who's really mean and powerful? Well, in some countries in Latin America, there were leaders who were like that, but they were in charge of the whole country! They were called military dictators, which means they used the army to take control and keep power.

Some movies are made about those military dictators and the things they did. In these movies, we learn about how those leaders didn't care about the people of their countries, and did things that hurt them. They didn't allow people to speak freely or disagree with them, and sometimes they even hurt or killed people who opposed them.

Watching these movies can teach us about what happened in the past and help us understand what people went through in those countries. It can also help us appreciate the freedoms we have today, like the right to speak our minds and vote for our leaders.