How Trump and the Capitol riot aftershocks can be felt in Latin American countries - 0 views
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Last Wednesday, President Donald Trump made a mockery of our rule of law. His baseless denial of the results of the presidential election, his refusal to commit to a peaceful transition of power and his subsequent incendiary language have brought us to this chaotic moment.
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The harm could be particularly severe throughout Latin America, where the devastation of the pandemic, dire economic straits and the growing impact of climate change have shaken public confidence.
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And for countries aspiring to democracy but not yet succeeding — chief among them Venezuela — Trump’s actions are particularly destructive. In 2017, the United States led the international community in condemning the fraudulent elections that kept Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro in power and in standing behind Venezuela’s democratic forces.
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The president of the United States cannot condemn dictatorships like the Maduro regime in one breath, then seek to unilaterally overturn American elections in the next. In light of Wednesday’s insurrection, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s statement the day before condemning Maduro’s manipulation of recent legislative elections rings hollow.
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In doing so, Trump aligns himself with despots like Maduro rather than the great American presidents of past and future. On Wednesday afternoon, Venezuela’s foreign ministry issued a short but mocking statement: “With this unfortunate episode, the United States is experiencing what it has generated in other countries with its policies of aggression.”
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Venezuela’s democratic opposition, at greater risk of persecution since Maduro and his cronies regained control of the National Assembly, could face arrest or worse, and have lost the moral boost that America has their back if they keep up their dangerous push for democracy.
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Venezuela is not the only country where Trump’s inconsistencies could have a destabilizing effect. Though Latin America’s democratic institutions have proved remarkably resilient under the circumstances, the coming months could be pivotal. Chile, Peru, Honduras, Nicaragua and Ecuador are all set to hold presidential elections this year.
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Furthermore, with severe lockdowns devastating the region’s economies and largely failing to slow the spread of the virus, the region’s political class as a whole has watched approval ratings plummet. In an increasingly hostile political landscape, those fighting to defend democratic institutions could face growing pressure from outside challengers.
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Trump’s rabble-rousing has given anti-democratic leaders an updated playbook: use social media and other alternative information sources to spread misinformation to stir loyal followers, and then use those tools to organize a violent attack on the heart of democratic institutions.
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To mitigate the damage in Latin America and the world, President-elect Joe Biden will need to re-engage with allies and rebuild America’s reputation by openly acknowledging the healing needed after the chaos of his predecessor.