Why did Latin America develop as it did?

This is really a huge question.  Books have been written
on this topic and many of them disagree with one another.  I would suggest that you
should consult your text or your notes if you are supposed to come up with a particular
answer.

One way to answer this question is to say that the
countries of Latin America developed in the way that they did because they were
colonized.  This sort of explanation argues that the economies of these countries were
created to help their "mother countries" rather than to become self-sufficient.  This
meant that the Latin American countries developed in a way that left them in the role of
suppliers of cheap raw materials to more developed countries.  This can also account for
the lack of democracy and good government in many Latin American countries.  These
countries were colonized by countries that had no interest in democratizing their
colonies.  This fact helped create independent countries that are all too often run by
autocrats.

However, there are many other ways to answer
this question.  Once again, I suggest you consult your text.