Democracy is at a critical crossroads, This is revealed by a recent study carried out by the Open Society Foundation (OSF) in 30 countries – including Colombia – which shows a paradox in the perception of democracy.
Although it remains widely valued, it is under scrutiny for various challenges including inequality, corruption and the threats of climate change.
That is Although there is a constant demand for democracy and confidence in its fundamental pillars, simultaneously doubts arise about its effectiveness in producing tangible results at the same time that a resurgence of authoritarianism is observed.
“The most serious threat facing democracy is not the rival appeal of authoritarianism, but rather the question of whether democratic leaders can achieve results for their populations. People want to believe in pluralistic and independent societies safeguarded by institutions that protect minorities and defend individual rights. But the evidence shows us that the idea that this model improves their lives is too inconsistent,” the report says.
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Notably, The study indicates that young people are more skeptical than previous generations about the capacity of democracy to meet your expectations.
Alarmingly, 35 percent of young people believe that a “strong leader” who has not been democratically elected or who does not consult Parliament could be an effective way to govern a country.
The moment to take the pulse of democracy, at a global and Latin American level, could not be more opportune in a week full of symbolism in our region. Last Monday, September 11, Chile commemorated the 50th anniversary of the 1973 military coup. That same day marked 22 years since the adoption of the Inter-American Democratic Charter. And on Friday the International Day of Democracy was celebrated under the motto: ‘Empowering the next generation’.
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The democratic retreat in the world
In the period that followed the fall of the Berlin Wall and the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Francis Fukuyama proclaimed the “end of history,” considering capitalist democracy triumphant.
However, just three decades later We find ourselves facing a democracy under harassment, besieged by numerous threats that manifest themselves in growing polarization, the proliferation of fake news, a resurgence of illiberal populism and, in some regions (Asia and especially Africa), traditional coups d’état.
But this decline is not limited only to emerging democracies, but also affects those that, until recently, we considered consolidated, as evidenced by the assault on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, as well as the emergence of populist leaders in some European countries.
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According to The Economist Intelligence Unit, Only 8% of the world’s population lives in full democracies. In turn, the V-Dem 2023 report notes that, for the first time in more than two decades, closed autocracies outnumber liberal democracies in the world. And finally, according to the International Idea 2022 report, The quality of democracy has experienced serious stagnation in the last five years.
The aforementioned study shows that half of democracies are in decline, while the number of countries with the most severe democratic erosion is booming.
Alert in Latin America for the state of democracy
Since 2006, the region has been experiencing a sustained and profound decline in democracy. According to The Economist report, 60% of its member countries have lost their democratic status. At the moment, Only Uruguay, Costa Rica and Chile maintain the qualification of full democracies, followed by five other countries: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Panama and the Dominican Republic, which are classified as “incomplete democracies” and which mostly show signs of stagnation.
Additionally, we find eight nations categorized as hybrid regimes: El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Paraguay and Bolivia; and four with authoritarian regimes: Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Haiti, the latter becoming a failed state.
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In the area of political culture, a significant deficit is also detected. According to the Latinobarómetro 2023, Support for democracy fell to 48%, representing a drop of 15 percentage points since 2010. Among the data that draws the most attention, it appears that support for democracy is higher among those over 61 years of age than among those under 25.
Young people also support authoritarianism more or are more indifferent to the type of regime, which raises numerous questions for the future.
A fragile institutional framework, harassment of freedom of expression, the proliferation of fake news, an increase in toxic polarization and the lack of results (unfulfilled promises of democracy) are among the main reasons.
Also notable is the predilection for candidates with populist and authoritarian profiles, such as Jair Bolsonaro or Nayib Bukele.
(You may be interested in: Chile: 50 years of the military coup and a divided society)
But not everything is negative. There are also lights to mention. Democracy in the region shows important signs of resilience.
A good part of citizens continue to value and demand more and better democracy at the polls and in the streets. At the same time, politicians, judges, journalists, academics, human rights defenders and activists continue to fight to care for, protect and strengthen democracy.
The challenging years that democracy will face
The next few years will be challenging, especially due to the context. Latin America emerged from the covid-19 pandemic with a cursed inheritance in terms of human development. The news is not good in the economic field either. Growth in the region continues to languish – ECLAC projects 1.7% by 2023 – marking a new lost decade (2014-2023).
To the persistent problems of the 20th century – such as inequality, poverty, labor informality, violence and corruption – emerging challenges of the 21st century are now added, such as climate change and the repercussions of the fourth industrial revolution and the accelerated proliferation of artificial intelligence.
In this sense, the first point that different countries must take into account is rethink democracy to provide it with the capacity to provide timely responses and effective to citizen problems. The second thing is that it is crucial to protect the legitimacy of origin and the integrity of the elections and protect the electoral bodies so that they can do their work independently.
(Also: World leaders call to defend democracy on the anniversary of the coup in Chile)
Added to this is the need to relegitimize institutions (parties and congresses). via innovation, opening new channels of citizen participation and intelligently incorporating new technologies to overcome the current crisis of representation and regain confidence in politics and in the elites.
Of course, it is imperative to promote, especially among young people, democratic values and attitudes and encourage inclusive dialogues that facilitate the renewal of the social contract.
All this added to the serious challenge of guaranteeing legal certainty, respect human rights and freedom of expression, combat corruption and impunity head-on, and respond democratically to the challenges posed by citizen insecurity and organized crime today.
DANIEL ZOVATTO
SPECIAL FOR THE WEATHER
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