A right-wing dictatorship, sometimes also referred to as a rightist dictatorship or right-wing authoritarianism, is an authoritarian or sometimes totalitarian regime following right-wing policies. Right-wing dictatorships are typically characterized by appeals to traditionalism, the protection of law and order and the advocacy of nationalism, and justify their rise to power based on a need to uphold a conservative status quo, often in opposition to communism. Some examples of right-wing dictatorships include the Estado Novo, the Spanish State, and a number of military dictatorships that ruled various Latin American countries during the Cold War.