Latin America: Becoming Less Democratic

theatlantic.com reported For the first time in decades, democracy in the region is facing a sustained, coordinated authoritarian threat. With its electoral façade and progressive rhetoric about helping the excluded, the soft authoritarianism that is taking hold in parts of Latin America has an attractive face…… Like their Venezuelan role model and generous patron, Evo Morales in Bolivia, Rafael Correa in Ecuador, and Manuel Zelaya in Honduras (till he was stopped) called for constituent assemblies with the aim of boosting the presidency’s powers and paving the way toward indefinite reelection to that office. Bolivia and Ecuador’s respective histories of acute instability–including interrupted presidencies–and consequent hopes for “a fresh start” guaranteed strong popular support for the new chief executives. With this majoritarian backing, personalis­tic leaders undermined liberal, pluralist institutions. Read Article
HAVE YOU THOUGHT OF MOVING TO ECUADOR? READ THIS INSIDE LOOK AT THE CULTURE OF ECUADOR