Cafecito con Carolina

July 7, 2022

Dear John,

I hope your summer is off to a good start, even as we face challenging times in the U.S. and in Latin America. As we are now halfway through the year, I wanted to write to you today with an update about WOLA’s work. The staff and I have been reviewing some of our assessments of the state of the region and responding to the many emerging challenges. A concerning trend that has jumped to the forefront of our work here at WOLA is that of rising authoritarianism throughout the region. 

As many of our supporters may know, WOLA was founded when military authoritarian leaders took power across the region in the 1970s. While Latin America is no stranger to authoritarian leaders, this new wave of authoritarianism is unlike those that came before. The democratic backsliding taking place today is not a result of military coups, but of civilians coming to power via elections, either through performative or legitimate means. These leaders have new tools to help consolidate power. Presidents such as Nayib Bukele in El Salvador have been able to disseminate information quickly through social media and through other communications tools to citizens and consolidate power by controlling the narrative around their agendas. In Guatemala, President Alejandro Giammattei has weaponized the judicial system, forcing into exile out of fear of prosecution over 20 justice officials who were at the forefront of the country’s efforts to combat impunity and corruption. In this political climate, authoritarian leaders have been able to find allies or, at the very least, other leaders willing to turn a blind eye to maintain relations. While the Biden administration put democracy and human rights at the center of its foreign policy, it has sent mixed messages to regional leaders about this commitment and has not made full use of the tools at its disposal to work to hold authoritarian regimes accountable.

As in the 1970s and 1980s, WOLA remains committed to researching and advocating for policies alongside our partners that will help combat authoritarianism in the region. For nearly 50 years, WOLA has been a leader in briefing U.S. policymakers on issues facing Latin America, convening meetings with regional partners and U.S. government officials, using rigorous analysis to present the facts about complex situations, and supporting our partner’s advocacy work in different countries of the region. We will continue to carry out our tried and tested methods while also acknowledging that we are currently facing a uniquely challenging political climate. 

In the coming months, WOLA will dive deeper into the tools and strategies already being used throughout the region to combat these worrisome trends, examine lessons learned and how they can be adapted to respond to the current moment, and develop joint advocacy strategies with partners focused on U.S. and regional governments. We understand that U.S. influence in the region has changed and that we must look for different points of leverage and creative ways to fight authoritarian leadership where we see it. Furthermore, we must look at the role that communication technologies now play as they are being used to change human rights’ narratives and boost authoritarian leaders. We hope to create a regional space to monitor and combat authoritarianism and develop a collaborative space that would bring together existing and new partners that share an interest in tracking authoritarian trends and designing proposed solutions. 

WOLA is in a unique position to combat authoritarian tendencies in the region. Our ability to work with on-the-ground partners to push for policy changes in Latin America and in the U.S. sets us apart. Our almost 50 year history of rising to meet new challenges in the region provides a strong foundation upon which to build this work. As we did in the 1970s, we’ll continue to adapt to the changing environment in Latin America and create comprehensive solutions to respond to the moment. I hope you will be right there with us every step of the way.

Sincerely,

Carolina Jiménez Sandoval

President, WOLA

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