By Pablo Argote Another Chilean Constitutional Process Begins On Monday, March 6th, a group of experts named by the political parties met in "Salon de los Presidentes", a solemn room located in the facilities of the Chilean Congress in Santiago. The purpose of this meeting was nothing less than to initiate the third attempt to... Continue Reading →
by Sebastian Godinez Rivera The Balance of an Imperfect Democracy Mexico is one of many countries to achieve democracy at the end of the twentieth century. Unfortunately, the phantoms of populism and authoritarianism are back in a significant number of Latin American countries. The wave of outsider figures started in 2018, when leaders with a... Continue Reading →
Wendy Hunter is a Professor of Government at the University of Texas Austin. Recently, she cowrote an article with Timothy Power in the Journal of Democracy called “Lula’s Second Act.” Become a Patron! Make a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox. I do want to underscore this should not be read as a victory of... Continue Reading →
By Gerardo L. Munck Poor Quality Democracies Democracy has become the norm for the first time in the entire history of Latin America. Competitive elections based on universal suffrage for top political offices are held as a matter of routine. The peaceful alternation in power between incumbents and the opposition has become a common feature –... Continue Reading →
By María Isabel Puerta Riera This is an updated version of the Spanish article published by Agenda Pública in 2021. Succession Under Autocracy Some analysts and experts in Venezuelan politics refer to Chavismo as a political movement that demands permanence in power. It repudiates the alternation of power. Moreover, this is not some sort of... Continue Reading →
By Laura Gamboa Why Politicians and Parties Matter Politicians and political parties are among the most despised in the Americas. According to LAPOP, Latin American mean trust for political parties is the lowest for any institution (including the military and the police). Meanwhile, “politician” is used as a shorthand for corrupt, spineless, and sold-out. This... Continue Reading →
By María Isabel Puerta Riera This is an updated version of the Spanish article published by Agenda Pública. Venezuela in Crisis Venezuela's crisis has ceased to be a domestic problem, giving way to a regional concern with global implications. The country's deterioration has triggered one of the most severe humanitarian crises of the last decade,... Continue Reading →
By Caitlin Andrews-Lee Charismatic Leadership in Latin America In recent years, charisma has enjoyed a resurgence in political science as leaders around the world deemed to be “charismatic” have risen to power amidst deep crises and used their authority to disrupt the political status quo. Latin America is no stranger to charismatic leadership. Historically, José... Continue Reading →
by Jamie L. Shenk Not so Progressive On August 9, 2022, many Colombians looked on with pride and hope as Gustavo Petro, a former guerrilla fighter and the country’s first Leftist leader, was sworn in as president. Standing together with his vice president, Francia Márquez—an internationally recognized environmental activist and the first Afro-Colombian to... Continue Reading →
By María Isabel Puerta Riera Biden In a Crossfire The Biden administration has been under fire since reports in early March suggested a change in the direction of the foreign policy toward Venezuela, including exploring the possibility of sanctions relief if the Nicolás Maduro regime agreed to certain conditions. The breakthrough came amid the global response to... Continue Reading →
