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Democracy in Latin America and the Caribbean
 Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) have progressed
on a number of fronts in recent years to strengthen their
democracies.
Democratically elected civilian governments have replaced
military rule in nearly every country in the region, and many
of these countries now have free and fair elections. In addition,
most governments in the region are attempting to decentralize
operations, which open new opportunities for political participation
for historically excluded populations.
As democracy has taken root, human rights violations have
drastically reduced and governments have begun to proactively
take actions to promote peace and reconciliation.
However, the LAC region still faces a number of challenges.
Recent political crises in Ecuador and Peru, and ongoing challenges
in Colombia, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela suggest that
democracy is under threat in many countries throughout the
region. Crime, along with corruption, significantly erodes
confidence in democracy throughout the region, as evidenced
by the large numbers of recent protests and revolts that they
sparked throughout the region.
Indeed many countries in the LAC region struggle with a multitude
of common factors that continue to undermine democratic progress.
These include: a) extensive poverty and high unemployment,
b) high inequality between the incomes of the rich and the
poor, c) crime and lawlessness, d) a thriving narcotics industry,
e) weak political parties, f) ineffective justice systems,
and g) ingrained corruption in the government, courts and
police/military systems.
USAID Democracy programs work with governments in the region
to strengthen the building blocks of democracy in their countries
to prevent the progress of the past two decades from unraveling.
Training and Support
USAID’s support for democracy and good governance in
LAC countries generally fall into four areas:
1. Strengthen the rule of law -- (Equal treatment for all
under the law)
- Support legal reform,
- Improve the administration of justice, and
- Increase citizens' access to justice;
2. Promote more genuine and competitive election processes
- Conduct pre-election assessments,
- Train election officials and observers,
- Develop civic and voter education techniques, and
- Develop programs to address gender, minority, and ethnic
issues;
3. Increase development of a politically active civil society
- Empower individuals to organize, express their views
publicly, debate public policy openly, and petition their
government, and
- Provide training and support for public groups including:
a) professional associations, b) civic education groups,
c) women's organizations, d) business and labor federations,
e) media organizations, f) bar associations, g) environmental
activists, and h) human rights organizations;
4. Encourage honest transparent and accountable governments,
especially relative to:
- Anti-corruption,
- Strengthening local governments,
- Legislative strengthening,
- Civil-military relations, and
- Effective policy management and implementation.
USAID LAC at Work
Bolivia – Justice Centers
To increase citizen’s confidence in democratic institutions
and processes, USAID directly addresses root causes of social
unrest. In El Alto, for example, USAID helped to establish
an integrated justice center to resolve conflicts and to provide
services to underserved people in the conflict-prone area.
The center helped to increase the presence of the government
and to increase its positive dialog with the people.
Haiti – Assistance to Interim Government
USAID provides support to the interim government in its efforts
to stabilize the country in preparation for local, parliamentary
and presidential elections later this year. USAID efforts
encourage creation of jobs, support institutions, offer health,
education and humanitarian assistance and respond to hurricanes
and similar natural disasters.
Cuba – Communications to Help Transition
USAID provides forums (e.g. radio, leaflets, etc) to disseminate
accurate information to keep the population educated and to
hasten a transition to a democratically free state.
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