Defying the Democratic Backsliding: A Perspective from the Dominican Republic

On September 20, 2023, during the regular session of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS), dedicated to the commemoration of the International Day of Democracy, the Dominican Republic addressed a critical issue affecting all of the Americas: the crisis of confidence in political actors and the erosion of democracy.

This concern is not new, but its urgency has intensified. According to various opinion studies, we are facing a “democratic backsliding”, a term that encapsulates economic crises exacerbating inequalities, failures in the provision of public goods such as justice, and a decrease in government performance that undermines public confidence.

This scenario not only reflects popular dissatisfaction but points to a real threat to the stability and future of our nations. Faced with this panorama, the Dominican Republic reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening democratic institutions.

Democracy is conceived not only as a model of government, but as a system of fundamental values: freedom, equality and justice. However, we recognize that to strengthen it and dissuade the appeal of authoritarianism, it is essential to restore trust in the institutions that sustain it.

We highlighted the specific concern about polarization, which is seen as a centrifugal force that tears the social and political fabric, negatively influencing the stability and cohesion of states.

Polarization not only divides electorates and questions the legitimacy of electoral processes, but it also erodes democratic quality by distorting decision-making and limiting constructive dialogue.

To face these challenges, the Dominican Republic proposes a series of concrete actions: strengthening civic education, ensuring that the media and tech companies act in a balanced and ethical manner, and requiring that leaders actively promote unity and prioritize national welfare over partisan interests. Civil society is also invited to play a more active role in public discourse.

Finally, we highlighted the Dominican Republic’s initiative to form a voluntary participation group, aimed at analyzing and strengthening our democracies, a proposal that has been well received and is in the process of being implemented under the presidency of the United States.

This collective effort is seen not only as an option, but as an ethical and political obligation to ensure a stronger and more resilient democratic future for the region.

This commitment underscores the importance of working together, not only to stop the democratic recession but to reverse it, thus ensuring that democratic principles are the foundation of our societies. In this mission, success will depend on our ability to act united and with determination.

(I acknowledge the use of ChatGPT 4 (OpenAI, https://chat.openai.com) to translate the original text from Spanish to English.)