Challenges to Political and Democratic Stability in Latin America

Latin America, a region marked by its intricate sociopolitical landscape, has confronted substantial challenges to its political and democratic stability over the past two decades. A widespread malaise toward democracy, coupled with extreme social inequality, has intensified discontent among marginalised groups. As a result, many citizens have become disillusioned with their governments, leading to increased voter apathy and social unrest. Concurrently, this discontent has paved the way for the emergence of far-right political actors who are radicalizing the political landscape and challenging the principles of liberal democracy. Figures such as Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil, Nayib Bukele in El Salvador, and Javier Milei in Argentina exemplify this trend towards extremism. The region also faces higher levels of violence with citizens willing to accept “mano dura” policies in exchange of security. Political polarization exacerbates these challenges, creating stark ideological divides that obstruct effective governance and drive instability. Collectively, these factors highlight the urgent need for a concerted effort to fortify democratic institutions while fostering inclusivity, accountability, and constructive dialogue throughout the region. This section proposal seeks to address the significant challenges to political and democratic stability in Latin America by emphasizing the multifaceted nature of these issues. By examining themes such as corruption, social inequality, extremism, political polarization, and external influences, this section aims to provide a nuanced understanding of the factors undermining democracy in the region as well the steps taken in the region to revert this processes, such as the implementation of quota legislation to increase women’s presence in politics or political parties in the opposition and civil society groups challenging democratic backsliding and the erosion of institutions. This Section encourages reflections on these issues that develop context-based and context-responsive theories and methods, to promote a comprehensive understanding of the region. We invite scholars and practitioners to share Latin American perspectives; we especially welcome case studies, regional and cross-case comparisons of Latin American countries, but also conceptual and theoretical proposals with focal attention to the region, and studies that engage in cross-regional analyses, in line with the standing group’s effort to create more dialogue between the study of Latin America and other regions in the world. We invite panel proposals to seek gender and career balance in their composition, with representation of both established and emergent scholars and of diverse institutions across different countries. We especially welcome collaborations between scholars based in Europe and in Latin America. All-male panels will not be considered.