Political and social structures during the colonial period and after independence determined the Latin response to juvenile offenders. Toward the end of the 19th Century, penal legislation was enacted to deal with children and juveniles, and this legislation influenced laws passed during the first half of the 20th Century to handle minors in the juvenile justice system. Specific laws were enacted in response to the growing need of each country to regulate and control social conflicts, the increasing role of the police in the social and punitive control of juveniles, the adoption and definition of correctional ideas, and the emerging issues of minor rights and guardianship. Juvenile justice laws and procedures in particular countries are described, and changes in social attitudes toward the reconciliation of childhood and juvenile issues are addressed. 16 references