https://youtu.be/eZIvCzBX1VY
Against the backdrop of a complex global economic landscape, several countries in the region will hold presidential elections over the next 18 months. Luis Almagro, Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), analyzed the challenges and possible scenarios in the short and medium term for democracies in the Americas in the post-pandemic context.
The conference “Challenges for Democracies in the Americas,” organized by the Department of International Studies at Universidad ORT Uruguay, was held online on Thursday, June 23.
Peace, security, and development
The OAS Secretary General noted that the challenges facing democracies in the Americas are a central issue in the region’s current reality.
“It has to do with our core principles and values as societies, as countries, and, in our case, as an organization—the continent’s primary political forum with virtually exclusive responsibility for the regional political agenda,” Almagro stated.
The member states of the OAS have embraced democracy as an essential element for ensuring peace, security, and development in the region.
He also noted that “the commitment to strengthening democracy is part of the Americas’ DNA” and that, despite its imperfections, it is the political system that has yielded the best results in the hemisphere.
The Challenges
The region is facing an increasing number of challenges. “It is impossible to analyze our current situation without understanding that the major challenges we face today are exacerbated by the circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic and the effects of Russia’s war against Ukraine.”
Among the major structural problems facing the Americas, Almagro cited inequality, violence, corruption, and drug trafficking. “We need to make progress in these areas so that our democracies can function more effectively.”
“We are practically the most unequal region. This is unacceptable from any perspective,” he explained, adding, “We have rich countries with poor people.”
The OAS Secretary General considers today’s poverty and inequality to be unacceptable. “If we do not resolve these problems, it will be very difficult for our democracies to make the developmental strides that are so necessary.”
“Democracy requires constant effort to build.”
Almagro stated that it is essential to equip democracy with the capacity to respond, regardless of any economic or financial crises that may arise.
“Providing solutions to the problems people face is not the responsibility of just a few. It is the responsibility of all of us: organizations, member states, civil society, the business sector, universities, and the political system as a whole. We must strengthen, preserve, and ensure a future life in democracy for future generations.”