La Defensa Colectiva de la Democracia. Conferencia ante los organismos electorales de América Latina

Abstract

In Latin America the collective defense of democracy has required great efforts. This lecture has the intention to analyze the role of some institutions created for that purpose. The starting point is 1983 when the Contadora group was organized as the first Latín-American effort to solve regional conflicts without the intervention of foreign states. Also an analysis of judicial mechanisms, protocols and resolutions is made on those mechanism that are viable for Latin American to obtain and preserve peace, as is the Inter-American Democratic Letter, instrument created by the Organization of American States (OAS) in 1985. This letter represents today the most elaborated inter-American agreement tostrengthen and protect democracy. The analysis includes its application and the challenges American democracy confronts, while discussing, problems with governability, legitimacy, poverty, safety, terrorism, and drug trafficking among other aspects. Finally, the main obstacles are established, for example decisions and sanctions that are not necessarily entail responsabilities.