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Tøm alle filtreIn the shadow of the virus Varieties of power in the COVID-19 crisis in Venezuela
While all states face massive challenges when responding to COVID-19, some are in a more precarious position than others. In Venezuela, the pandemic arrived at the worst possible time for its citizens. Facing one of the deepest economic crises outside of wartime in recent years, its consequences have spilled over to all aspect of social life.1 However, the timing seems to have suited the leaders of the Venezuelan regime well. Rather than constituting a threat to the stability of a regime that has lost both democratic legitimacy and the capacity to provide services and security, the government of Nicolas Maduro (2013-present) has seemingly managed to consolidate itself after several years of instability. The starting point of the discussion is an apparent paradox: how can a regime with neither legitimacy nor capacity, two commonly invoked criteria for effective crisis management, strengthen itself during a crisis such as that spurred by COVID-19? The brief presents an overview of how the Venezuelan regime has responded to COVID-19, and how the government of Nicolás Maduro has applied different strategies to consolidate a favorable political status quo. It takes as its starting point three concepts, namely “state capacity,” “legitimacy,” and “power,” all of which are frequently upheld as fundamental for understanding the varying ways in which states have responded to the pandemic. It highlights how relative power relations have shifted in recent years, and how the pandemic has contributed to skewing the balance of power further in favor of the Maduro government.
Democracy and Human Rights in Contemporary Latin America (2015-2020): Trends, challenges, and prospects
Through a review of scholarly and other well-informed articles as well as media reports, this CMI Report aims to summarize discussions on challenges for democracy and human rights in Latin America during the last half-decade. The region faces a highly difficult economic outlook, consisting of low commodity prices and stagnant growth, threatening a historic backlash in the access to basic goods (including food) and services (not least health). The coronavirus pandemic may have a completely devastating effect on Latin American societies. After the end of the “pink tide”, the survey registers a regional democratic decline, breakdown of democratic systems in some countries and more widespread concerns of democratic erosion; electoral success for anti-incumbent candidates but also a rise of youth protest and fundamental political reform claims. While the human rights agenda has expanded tremendously, a current trend is that fundamental political rights may be endangered. There are serious threats to security and the right to life, and an increasing authoritarian trend (most visible in Venezuela, Nicaragua, Brazil, and El Salvador). Cuba, here treated as a special case, finds itself at a critical juncture, right before the definitive end of the Castro era, leaving the fundamental challenge for younger generations to prepare for a soft landing or risking a full regime collapse. Geopolitical rivalry between the US, China, and Russia leaves a particular responsibility to Europe to facilitate conflict resolution and peacemaking as well as resolution.
COVID-19 in Latin America: Challenges, responses, and consequences
Latin-Amerika er frå midten av mai rekna for å vere eit nytt episenter for COVID-19 av WHO. Sjølv om dei fleste landa var tidleg ute med omfattande smittevernstiltak er det venta at COVID-19 vil ha stor og langvarig effekt i ein region som allereie var prega av økonomiske vanskar og politisk ustabilitet før utbrotet. Økonomiske framskrivingar tyder på at latinamerikanske økonomiar vil bli svært skadelidande av nedgangen på verdsmarknaden. Drastiske smittevernstiltak fører òg med seg grunnleggande spørsmål om legitimitet og forhold mellom stat og innbyggar. I nokre land har viktige demokratiske prosessar stoppa opp. I Brasil har nasjonale myndigheiter si handsaming av krisa blitt ein medverkande faktor til ei pågåande politisk krise. Eit geopolitisk vakuum kan gi Kina høve til å styrke posisjonen sin i regionen.
Norsk utviklingspolitikk i en tid med klimaendringer og geopolitisk spenning
Denne strategiske satsningen har som hovedmål å bidra til at Utenriksdepartementet, Norad og andre aktører innenfor utviklingspolitikk skal få systematisk og relevant kunnskap om hvordan internasjonal...