Democracy may be threatened when the rule of law is undermined. Judicial subordination turns judges into pawns in a political chess board, and weakens the constitutional basis of the democratic state. A vital element of democratic government is the ability of citizens to oversee political authorities. Democracy requires respect for basic rights and freedoms, and is threatened whenever they are violated. In a number of Latin American countries the state is unable to provide protection for basic rights and freedoms including due process, access to justice, respect for religious freedom and tolerance, or even the minimal educational levels necessary to enjoy these rights and freedoms.
Modern democracies are systems of political representation and citizenship.
Yet there has been an observable weakening of parties, legislatures, and other representative institutions in Latin America. We need to explore the relationship between party systems and social actors, as well has the historical and gendered nature of citizenship in the region. One of the biggest challenges facing new democracies is to include indigenous peoples. The topic of threats to democracy is timely from a policy perspective and relevant to the central debate on democratization today. That debate has focused on problems with the notion of democratic consolidation.