Elections Under Attack, Authoritarianism on the Rise in Central America

A dangerous trend away from democracy across the region sparks international concern

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Autocracy and authoritarianism are on the rise throughout Central America, a region that lies along the main narcotics and migration routes in the Western Hemisphere, and a region that has long been plagued by violence caused by both the drug trade and the U.S.-led “War on Drugs”.

Reeling from rampant crime as well as endemic political corruption, the region this year has taken a dramatic turn away from democracy as a series of populist leaders (as well as one indisputable dictatorship) have chosen short-term, and at times draconian, policies to remain in power or win elections.

This week at PWS we spotlight a few of the biggest examples and explain the why’s and how’s of a troubling trend that, at least for now, is only likely to worsen.

Guatemala

Guatemalan politics have been long known for rampant corruption, but that corruption has been thrust…