Introduction: Latin American Presidential Democracies in Times of Turbulence
Mariana Llanos / Leiv Marsteintredet
Introduction: Latin American Presidential Democracies in Times of Turbulence
Routledge Studies in Latin American Politics | 2023
Abstract
This chapter introduces the topic of Latin American presidential democracies and their often-weak political institutions facing turbulent circumstances. Democratic institutions in Latin America have worked in a context marked by the eruption of popular protest and discontent, the widespread distrust of political institutions constituting a crisis of representation and, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic. Democratic institutions in the region have also had to respond to these external challenges. In this chapter we argue the responses have taken one of three forms: executive attempts or strategies to concentrate greater power in their hands, institutional innovation and change, and/or resorting to symbolic or incomplete institutional actions. With chapters clustering around the topics of fixed terms and other problems of presidentialism, inter-institutional relations and executive accountability, as well as old and new threats to democracy, the volume concludes highlighting the resilience of the region’s institutions to the often-overwhelming turbulent circumstances of the last few years.
Women, often seen as political outsiders, bring renewal during crises but face added challenges. Examining Jeanine Añez and Dina Boluarte in Bolivia and Peru respectively reveals these dynamics, shedding light on the potential implications for future female political leaders.
