Why is the article "the" not used in this sentences?

I don't understand why they wrote in the sentence below "swept away repressive dictators" instead of "swept away THE repressive dictators"? Any idea?

"Some local pundits liken the protests with the Soweto uprising of 1976, when children protested against apartheid, or talk of a South African spring, alluding to the protests that swept away repressive dictators in the Middle East in 2011."

Both are grammatically correct, however there is a small but important difference.

alluding to the protests that swept away repressive dictators in the Middle East in 2011.

implies that that there were multiple repressive dictators and some portion of them were removed from power.

alluding to the protests that swept away the repressive dictators in the Middle East in 2011.

implies that that there were multiple repressive dictators and all of them were removed from power.