Caudillo

A caudillo ( 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. No precise English translation exists for the term, though it is often used interchangeably with "military dictator", "warlord", and "strongman". The term is historically associated with Spain and Hispanic America, after virtually all of the regions in the latter won independence in the early 19th century. The roots of caudillismo may be tied to the framework of rule in medieval and early modern Spain during the Reconquista from the Moors. Spanish conquistadors such as Hernán Cortés and Francisco Pizarro exhibit characteristics of the caudillo, being successful military leaders, having mutual...