Low electoral credibility in the world threatens democracy: IDEA reveals the cause

COPENHAGEN (EFE).— The credibility of electoral processes affront a delicate situation at the global level, with increasing degrees of contestation and varied threats, said yesterday the Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA).

The Global Report on the state of democracy prepared by this organization, based in Stockholm, points out that in 2023 there was the worse decline in credible elections and parliamentary oversight.

Why did electoral credibility decrease in the world? IDEA reveals the cause

International IDEA says that the cause is factors such as government intimidationforeign interference, disinformation and the misuse of artificial intelligence in campaigns.

In one in five countries the level of electoral credibility decreased since 2018.

In almost the 20% of the elections held between 2020 and 2024, a defeated candidate or party rejected the result and the percentage of the population that votes went from 65.2% to 55.5% in the last 15 years.

Democracy threatened: Low electoral credibility in the world reveals IDEA

“There is a deterioration very important in the electoral component of the democracyin the ability of countries to hold free, fair elections, perceived as legitimate,” said IDEA Secretary General Kevin Casas-Zamora in a telephone interview.

The manager speaks of a “cocktail of threats”, such as digital ones (disinformation on social networks, cybersecurity) and political ones (“very high” levels of polarization and electoral denialism or the “Trump method” of launching “unfounded suspicions”).

He electoral deterioration It is linked to the democratic retreat at the global level, experienced in almost half of the countries and for the eighth consecutive year.

The study points out, however, that despite the negative context, elections were held last year that made it possible to reverse processes of democratic erosion in Guatemala, Brazil, Poland, Zambia and Senegal.

Venezuela case and threatened democracy

Although he report focuses on 2023 and does not talk about the elections in the current “electoral super year”, Casas-Zamora highlights the case of Venezuelawhich qualifies as “obvious fraud” clearly”, accusing the Electoral Council of presenting results “without any real basis”.

“It is a tragedy in every sense that gives me the impression that it is going to be very difficult to reverse. All the signs we have point to the fact that the Maduro regime is screwing itself into power at any cost,” says Casas-Zamora, who speaks of an “aberration” in Latin America, where in the last 4 decades elections were held normally and no large-scale fraud.

Although most countries in the region have not accepted the results, the former Costa Rican politician highlights the “extremely cautious” position of large democracies such as Colombia, Brazil or Mexico.

And although he shows understanding with Colombia due to the “complex” bilateral relationship between both countries, he does not understand the position of the others, which he believes may be due to “ideological reasons,” and remembers that in the case of Guatemala there was a unanimous reaction.

Fraud and organized crime, challenges for Latin America

“If the region is not able to say clearly that The only legitimate way to access power is through elections and fraud. It is not acceptable, we have to fear for democracy in Latin America,” he says.

The proliferation of Organized crime constitutes a challenge for Latin Americawarns the report.

It has become a central topic of debate even in countries where it was not an issue before, he points out. This challenge distorts the functioning of political institutions and becomes a breeding ground for authoritarian attitudes, as in El Salvador. “The condition for what (President Nayib) Bukele is doing to work is a dictatorship.”

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