The Rise of Autocratisation and its Effects on Human Rights in Latin American from the 2000s to the Present

The level of democracy worldwide has decreased, with autocratization prevalent in 42 countries, affecting 35% of the global population. However, access to democracy in Latin America and the Caribbean has improved. Brazil has transitioned to an electoral democracy, while Venezuela and Nicaragua remain electoral autocracies. A research study examined autocratization in these three Latin American nations from 2000 to the present. It aimed to uncover the causes and indicators of autocratic revival, focusing on the relationship between political dynamics, institutional vulnerability, and socioeconomic variables. Brazil's democratic transition in the 1980s led to erosion of democratic values and institutions under Jair Bolsonaro's administration. Venezuela began its democratic decline with the Bolivarian Revolution, eroding the rule of law and stifling political opposition. Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega consolidated power, manipulating elections and suppressing opposition. The study identified the paths of democratic erosion and autocratization, with Venezuela experiencing the greatest deterioration followed by Nicaragua and Brazil. The consequences include violations of political and civil rights, freedom of expression and association, political persecution, impunity, and oppression. The research also sheds light on the socio-political mechanisms fuelling autocratization in Latin America. It utilized a comparative case study approach and analyzed the influential figures leading the process of autocratization, namely Bolsonaro, Chávez, Maduro, and Ortega.