This lecture takes place in the frame of the course “Mapping the Global Far Right: Analytical Approaches and Case Studies”.

The democratic backlash in Latin America shares common traits with other regions, notably the incremental dismantling of democratic institutions by elected officials rather than coups. However, across many Latin American countries the combination of widespread insecurity, widespread illicit economies, corruption, and inequality lay fertile ground for polarization. Populist leaders seek to consolidate power in this environment by exploiting public distrust to undermine democratic and civic/civil institutions. Unlike in Europe and the U.S., however, this backlash has had a weaker effect on promoting xenophobic narratives and harsh migration policies in Latin America. While some governments have tightened migration controls amid economic and political crises, the region largely keeps true to its trend toward progressive and inclusive migration and citizenship policies. The increased externalized migration controls by the U.S. on larger parts of the region are putting the resilience of this trait under a harsh test: will they be able to endure?

We will discuss these topics with Dr. Luicy Pedroza (Colegio de México).