How Satisfied are LatAm Citizens With Democracy?

We write about democracy a lot around here—as in, at least once a month. Now, part of that is because Latin America has such a complicated history when it comes to political freedom and transfers of power.

But it’s also just a question of checking in on how the region’s most important asset – its people – are engaging in the political process. Are they civically active? Are their needs being met? To put it simply, are they satisfied with their government?

With elections in Argentina, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Paraguay this year, we decided to check in on the state of democratic satisfaction around Central and South America. And the results might surprise you a bit.

El Salvador, which frequently makes the news nowadays for its democratic backsliding under President Nayib Bukele, has actually seen the largest increase in terms of popular satisfaction with democracy. Yes, the country which has seen roughly 2% of its adult population incarcerated is the one where citizens have most grown in their satisfaction with democracy since 2013—roughly to the tune of 77%.

To answer why this may be the case, let’s turn to the country with the largest drop on this same measurement and timeframe. Ecuador, which went from a relative haven in the region to a country where presidential candidates are being assassinated at rallies, has dropped by almost 80% since 2013.

Is it any surprise truly that these are the results? Countries like Ecuador and Peru have seen a persistent rise in political instability and crime accompanied by deteriorating economic conditions since the end of the commodities boom.

Peruvians have had five presidents in as many years, with multiple being prosecuted for their involvement in massive corruption scandals. Meanwhile, citizens in Ecuador’s second city, Guayaquil, have watched their beloved port town become a hotbed for cartel chaos.

There’s no easy way to govern, and definitely no easy way to keep all citizens happy. But belief in democracy is something that takes time to build yet is easy to erode. Corruption scandals, crime waves, and economic stagnation all contribute to a drop in satisfaction with democracy—which may explain why most of the countries on our chart have seen the drops they have.