Latin America: Is Democracy Under Siege?

Amidst distressing reports of violence ahead of Mexico’s national and local elections, this week Kofi Annan and former President of Costa Rica, Laura Chinchilla, met the countries’ most important electoral authorities, political parties and President Enrique Peña Nieto. The Mexican elections are one of several major Latin American elections this year that may set the tone for the future of electoral integrity and democracy on the continent. In preparation for these landmark elections, last year we convened some of the continent’s brightest minds in Mexico City to examine challenges to the legitimacy of elections across Latin America. Today we present the outcome of their deliberations: a new report entitled “Electoral Integrity in Latin America” .

New Report: Electoral Integrity in Latin America

Participants in the August 2017 landmark conference in Mexico City noted that according to the 2016 Latino barometer, support for democracy in Latin America has slipped for the fifth consecutive year, while across the region, indifference to both democracy and authoritarianism has increased. Today we present “Electoral Integrity in Latin America”, a report capturing the conference's key take-aways and offering pointers to safeguard elections with integrity across the continent. Download the report here .

Is democracy under siege? by Kofi Annan

"On the first of July, millions of voters will cast their votes in over 155,000 polling stations, voting to fill more than 3,000 public offices at both the federal and local level. This is a fantastic celebration of democracy and – at a time of rising cynicism towards democratic values – a strong affirmation of citizens’ desire for democratic governance. However, I do not underestimate the challenges that you face in administering elections on this scale…Dozens of politicians, electoral candidates, as well as the family members have been targeted and killed since the start of this campaign. Unchecked, criminal violence can pose a serious threat to democratic institutions and indeed to democracy itself."