The Inter-American Institute for Democracy (IID) continues with its initiative to alert the public in the United States and Latin America about new threats to freedom and security from authoritarianism and organized crime in the Western Hemisphere.
The initiative aims to educate U.S. policy-makers and opinion-leaders about the current threats to the democratic system in the Latin American region. These come from an alliance of countries known as XXI Century Socialism, led by Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Bolivia, among others, which have joined forces with criminal organizations like drug cartels or money laundering operatives, whose operations undermine civic and constitutional institutions and corrupt the work of government.
As the IID has done previously, the initiative includes preparation of detail reports; hosting conferences and seminars featuring high-level speakers from the US and overseas; arranging meetings with policy-makers and opinion-leaders interested in the most pressing problems affecting Latin America.
The alliance of the so-called XXI Century Socialism, also known in Latin America as Castro-Chavista, because they follow the dictatorial ideals of Fidel Castro and Hugo Chávez, is seeking to expand its influence in the region.
The most recent case is the Republic of Peru, where President Pedro Castillo came to power with the support of the 21st Century Socialism alliance, and has begun to implement the repressive policies carried out by Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Bolivia. Under Castillo, Peru is following the examples of the preceding dictatorships including the modification of the national constitution through a Constituent Assembly, resulting in the establishment of one-party rule and the end of electoral democracy. Moreover, it includes plans to nationalize the primary means of production, in the case of Peru being the mining industry, and to promote legislation that favors narcotics production and trafficking.
The IID has participated in numerous meetings in Washington and elsewhere, to inform opinion leaders, policy-makers of both parties, and interested persons of all backgrounds about the threats that confront the democratic system in the Western Hemisphere.
An example of this was the high-level discussion on “The role of the Judicial System in the violation of human rights in Ecuador”, that drew the attention of numerous congressmen concerned about the violations of Rafael Correa’s administration back then.
We consider those educational activities to be not only a right but a responsibility of a think thank in this free country, and we look forward to expanding our academic events, publications, and policy discussions.
