Democracy yes, but not like this

¿Was the re-democratization process successful in Latin America?

Laura Alejandra Morales López

In fact, the re-democratization process in Latin America was successful, in this sense, it is
important to recognize the importance of the progress made in the region over the years,
giving way to a transformation where democracy has become the government, not the
exception. Democracy has come a long way in Latin America, beginning with the region's
historic rejection of military dictatorships and bloody civil conflicts.

The transitions to democracy in the different countries in Latin America have had different
causes and a different evolution in each country. In Brazil it has been the product of a slow
and protracted process, first of political thaw and then of gradual opening, for its part in
Uruguay and Chile it was the consequence of the defeat of military regimes in popular
referendums. As a result, when evaluating the impact of democracy in the region, Latin
America has achieved success, since democracy has been consolidated and is now the default
system in the region, with the exception of Cuba, although in many cases the emphasis is
solely on the electoral process, the alternation of power has occurred without the violent
patterns of the past and poverty levels have been significantly reduced compared to the pre-
democratization stage. Latin America has experienced the longest and most far-reaching
period of redemocratization in its history over the last four decades, the progress made in
recent years in terms of free and fair elections, the recognition and respect of human rights
are aspects that must be recognized and valued.

Latin America, within this perspective, was one of the first regions to experience the global
political transformation known as the "third wave" of democratization, in the mid-1980s,
with Brazil and Argentina as pioneers. Most of the achievements recorded during the 1980s
have remained steadfast and even improved since then, despite challenges such as the leftist
populism exemplified in Venezuela under Hugo Chávez, an increase in criminal violence in
many areas, and economic performance. erratic, democracy generally prevails.
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Next, some general characteristics within the re-democratization processes in Latin America
will be briefly mentioned, in order to deepen the foundations of the evolution of democracy
in the region; The axis of democratization and the consequent consolidation was based on
the establishment and maintenance of an institutional commitment, based on the recognition
of the opposition and on cooperation among the elites, in the same way the existence of a
strong and institutionalized party system, it was another crucial element that drove the
consolidation process.

Despite the success of re-democratization in the region, democracy in Latin America still
faces many challenges. As mentioned above in Latin America there is democracy, but the
question is: What is the quality of democracy in Latin America? To answer this, it is
necessary to delve into the common characteristics of the new Latin American democracies
where republican and presidential governments prevail, the electoral rules and biased policies
that have favored the systematic exclusion of the opposition, with political leaders, such as
Perón in Argentina or Betancourt in Venezuela, who have played important roles alongside
party systems. Stable solutions have prevailed only when presidentialism has coexisted with
a two-party system, on the other hand, the globalization of the economy and internal
transformations have caused a contraction and restructuring of the state, a movement towards
open markets, a deregulation of the economy and a weakening of historical actors, such as
parties, unions and popular movements and finally these same changes, have undermined the
social foundations of democracy, hindering the solidity and diversity of social organizations
that intensify citizenship and enrich participation.

Another problem for some countries has been the persistence of a political culture still linked
to traditional and authoritarian ideologies, together with serious socioeconomic inequalities,
deep political crisis, politicization of the poorer classes, threats to the middle class, violence,
corruption. , low levels of satisfaction with the functioning of democracy itself, institutions
and governments, aptly summarize the current situation in Latin America, which shows that
despite the important achievements, there are still some difficulties that hinder the
consolidation and quality of the democracy.

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By way of conclusion, it is possible to say that in general terms Latin America has a
democracy, however, its characteristics and dynamics are not enough to guarantee a quality
democracy. This means that States must establish an adequate relationship between the
production of wealth, based on economic growth, and its equitable distribution of resources,
it must also guarantee the complete protection of human rights and collective security, it is
not enough to just have free and plural elections, compliance with these standards is essential
for the perception of proximity and openness towards civil society, without which the threat
of authoritarianism or populism persists. Achieving the equitable distribution of wealth in
the region and protecting civil and social rights in the region implies a political solution to
one of the main collective problems and, therefore, is a substantial indicator of the quality of
democracy in Latin America.

Bibliographic references

Heras, L. (2004). Cultura política y democratización en América Latina. Revista de Ciencias

Sociales.

Karl, T. L., & Urquidi, M. (1991). Dilemas de la democratización en América Latina. Foro
Internacional.

González, F. D. J. A. (2004). Monitoreo de medios y democratización en América Latina. La

participación ciudadana en la vigilancia de la función informativa de los medios de
comunicación de masas. Comunicación y Sociedad.

Delli-Zotti, G. M. (2010, September). Transiciones a la democracia y democratización en

América Latina: un análisis desde la historia del presente.