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The Caudillo was a unique Latin American phenomenon which affected all of Spanish America after the wars of independence. Chaos and anarchy followed the departure of the Spanish and the Caudillos brought stability and became intrinsically linked to the destiny of their countries. However, their thirst for power frequently contaminated society and public life. Liberation from their colonial masters empowered Latin American authors to turn to the novel, a literary form which had been prohibited under Spanish rule. The legacy of the Caudillos became a fertile source of literary inspiration and the Latin American novel progressed through Romanticism, Regionalism, Surrealism, and "Realismo Magico". So too did the concept of the strong-man evolve through despotism, dictatorship, fascism, and the tyranny of police states in the modern era.