The State of Democracy in the Americas
On September 9, 2024, the Georgetown Americas Institute hosted panels to discuss the state of democracy across the Americas. Globally, there is a trend of democratic backsliding via attacks on the free press, civil liberties, and democratic institutions. These trends are well observed in a number of Latin American countries, and the region exhibits some of the lowest levels of support for democracy in the region.
Democracy in the United States and the Implications for the Americas
The conference opened with a keynote address by Lara Brown, former director of the Graduate School of Political Management at George Washington University. Brown gave a comprehensive overview of the state of democracy in the United States, arguing that the presidential election between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris is not the only existential election the United States has faced. However, moderation no longer seems to be a culturally elevated ideal the way it once was.
Brown highlighted the fact that both the left and right have spent far too much time claiming the U.S. political system is rigged, and as a result dialogue between opposing factions has become more difficult. She advised that political parties must collaborate and focus on shared goals rather than center on their ideological corners.
The State of Global Democracy
Juan Manuel Santos, former president of Colombia, spoke on the state of global democracy. Santos built on Brown's point that moderation is critical in a democracy. He pointed out that without moderation, dialogue becomes more difficult and as a result compromise between opposing political parties becomes more challenging. He noted that across the globe, opposing factions are more focused on stopping the other, rather than hearing them out.
In the context of Latin America, a decrease in more moderate views along with weakening institutions has led to authoritarian leaders taking charge. Santos indicated that the rise in authoritarianism in the region has been supported by foreign actors such as Russia and Iran, with the case of Venezuela as a prime example.
Santos also spoke about the danger of organized crime in Latin America. With the disintegration of democracy across the region, cartels have been able to amass power. To counteract this governments must collaborate internationally, but unfortunately there has been a lack of regional collaboration. However, he believes that success is possible, pointing to Colombia’s experience of being able to take on the cartels through cooperation and strong leadership.
Democratic Backsliding in Latin America
Javier Corrales, professor of political science at Amherst College, analyzed autocracy in Venezuela. He identified three early warning signs of autocracy displayed in Venezuela: asymmetrical party system fragmentation, capturing of state institutions, and varieties of violence. He claimed that the same signs were evident in El Salvador as well.
Venezuelan politician and academic Paola Bautista shared strategies to prevent autocrats from coming to power. She argued that democracy must bring a better life to everyone, that there must be a strong constitution to give institutions strength, and that the international community has a role in supporting democracy.
Juan Miguel Matheus, a deputy of the National Assembly of Venezuela, spoke about how autocracies are able to become resilient by pushing out democratic forces and building solidarity with other autocracies around the world.
The Cases of Mexico and Colombia
Mexican scholar Luis Carlos Ugalde pointed to the weakening of Mexico’s congress, the hegemony of the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI party), and the loss of judicial independence as evidence of the weakening of Mexico’s democracy. He claimed that the country’s future will likely be a neoliberal authoritarian state. Professor of Political Science Jose Aguilar Rivera built on Ugalde’s points and added that in his view there is already a full-fledged authoritarian restoration in Mexico. He claimed that Mexico has a long authoritarian past, which Andrés Manuel López Obrador has learned to tap into.
Laura Gamboa, professor of democracy and global affairs at Notre Dame University, finished off the event by talking about Colombia. She claimed that the threat of authoritarianism is not as strong in Colombia as in Mexico, but that there are several red flags raised by President Gustavo Petro. She highlighted the fact that Petro’s government has focused on blaming other groups for his government’s failures and has delayed legislation. She also expressed concern that Colombia could return to violent elections as it once had in the past.
The Future of Democratic Governance in Latin America
Throughout the panels, the fragile state of democracy across the Americas was a recurring theme. However, panelists also shared success stories in combating authoritarianism and useful insight for strengthening democracy.