Latin America embraced democratization like many other countries elsewhere in the world following the end of the Cold War. While there has been much progress, the new trend signals a continent slipping back into strongman rule. This article written by Hal Brands is published by Bloomberg Opinion. Here is an excerpt:

For reasons of geography, culture and commerce, no region of the world matters more to the U.S. than Latin America. But because the U.S. has long been such a dominant presence there, the region receives comparatively little attention from Washington — until something goes seriously wrong.

That’s why so few Americans seem to have noticed an alarming trend: The long, slow erosion of Latin American democracy is threatening to become an autocratic avalanche.

Nicaragua is the most recent example. Since 2007, President Daniel Ortega has maneuvered to consolidate power and marginalize his opposition. During a political crisis in 2018, he reportedly relied on extra-legal detentions, torture and killings to stymie his foes. Now, Ortega has thrown off the mask altogether, jailing virtually all of his prospective opponents in presidential elections this fall. History has come full circle in Nicaragua: The man who helped overthrow one tyranny in 1979 has now established another.

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