Democracy & Elections Archives - Page 5 of 52

Orwell’s Shadow? Chile’s Disinformation Commission Sparks Suspicion

Last September, Chileans voted overwhelmingly to reject a draft constitution that would have turbocharged President Gabriel Boric’s progressive agenda. Boric’s leftist allies blamed “fake news” for misleading the electorate. Ahead of another constitutional referendum this December, the government quietly published a decree to establish an Advisory Commission Against Disinformation. The initiative has sparked deep unease among free speech advocates and an outcry from Boric’s political opponents.

admin June 30, 2023

As the Petro Administration Stumbles, the Far-Right Prepares

Colombian President Gustavo Petro will likely pave the way for a far-right administration in the same way that Iván Duque paved the way for Petro’s own rise to power. He does not seem to know it yet, and Petro does not seem to be acting like a far-right candidacy is realistic right now. Petro ought to understand that both the short- and long-term future of Colombia’s left wing depends on his success.

admin June 29, 2023

Kirchnerism is in Crisis, But Peronism Will Survive

With inflation and poverty rising, the acute state of currency reserves, open confrontation between government officials, and a vice president that constantly questions the president’s legitimacy, we may be witnessing the end of Kirchnerism’s 20-year-long hegemony over Peronism.

admin June 22, 2023

To Understand Mexico’s Tragedy, be Wary of the Strongman Theory

The causes and explanations of how Mexico has regressed to a far more dysfunctional country lie in the somewhat hidden, not-so-thrilling everyday representations of weakness and impotence—the day-to-day stories of stranded and neglected citizens trying to survive government corruption and incompetence. The challenge of being treated as citizens, not thanks to but despite the government, reveals Mexico’s dysfunction

admin June 21, 2023

Brazil and the Illiberal Anti-U.S. Alliance

Lula’s work to create a de facto anti-U.S. illiberal alliance of Latin American leftist regimes and extra-hemispheric U.S. rivals further comes at a time in which those countries geographically closest to the United States—including Mexico, the Northern Triangle, and parts of the Caribbean—are moving away from political and security cooperation with the US, and toward a deepen embrace of the PRC.

admin June 20, 2023

The Advance of China and Authoritarian Populism in Honduras

In Latin America, it is strategically important that the United States distinguish between principled left-oriented democratic regimes versus those which seek to manage the alarm of Washington and Western investors as they pursue a fundamentally anti-democratic, anti-market, anti-U.S. course. It is time for Washington to recognize that the Honduran regime of Xiomara Castro, Mel Zelaya, and their Libre movement, are on the latter path.

admin June 9, 2023

Muerte Cruzada and Ecuadorian Democracy

Despite its novelty, the act did not plunge the country into crisis as some critics warned, nor did it mark a death knell for Ecuadorian democracy, as others argued. To the contrary, muerte cruzada acted as a constitutional release valve, helping dissipate popular discontent and providing a democratic exit for an unpopular president who was facing his second impeachment trial and third motion for impeachment in two years.

admin June 7, 2023

Peru and Ecuador: Cases of Risky Institutional Designs

Following Latin America’s democratic transitions in the 1980s, confrontations between legislative and executive branches controlled by opposing political forces produced institutional crises in many countries that seriously affected governance.

admin June 1, 2023

Opposition Struggles to Reunite against President Maduro

Overall, the greatest challenge for the opposition is to rebuild a political consensus within its own diverse ranks, define a unified strategy path, and boost its credibility among a politically dejected population—still struggling to survive the multifaceted humanitarian crisis.

admin May 17, 2023

A Global Americans Review of Resisting Backsliding

Gamboa’s book offers a vital contribution to the academic debate over democratic backsliding. More importantly, it offers practical wisdom. If structural and institutional factors are all that matter, then there is little that democrats can do to resist an ambitious executive

admin May 15, 2023