In the 1970s, 15 of South America's 20 nations were military dictatorships. Through the 1980s, most of these were overthrown or otherwise gave way to fragile democracies. LA ESPERANZA INCIERTA looks at the current socio-political climates in four South American countries: Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, and Chile.

Featuring interviews with heads of state, intellectuals, politicians, journalists, former members of the military regimes, and common people on the streets, this program gives a wide range of peoples' opinions on the future of their nations.

- In Brazil, where the population is only 40% literate, there may be democracy, but there is no food. A woman states that "at least now we can complain."

- Uruguay, South America's smallest nation, seems to export people more than anything else. In a population of 3 million, only 500,000 are categorized as youth. Playwright Carlos Maggi declares "now we're a country of moaners."

- In Argentina, President Carlos Saul Menem warned his people to prepare for "major surgery without anesthesia" as his government attempts to dismantle an economy based on an inefficient and corrupt public sector and move towards privatization. Journalist Horacio Verbitsky calls his nation's economy "remarkable for its scale of failure."

- And in Chile, President Patricio Aylwin attempts to move his country towards democracy and a free economy - under the watchful eye of Augusto Pinochet.

The filmmakers state that "We live the crisis of an explosive demographic growth; we still have the scars of recent military pasts. We have an ever-so-strong desire to live, but we also share an uncertain future."

Troubling and yet hopeful, LA ESPERANZA INCIERTA is an informative overview of South America today, and tomorrow.