Protecting democracies

The democracies of non-central countries are permanently threatened by those who hold economic power. They are powerful minority groups that seek to maintain without limits or conditions the concentration of wealth and decision-making power that they practice at the expense of the rest of society. Another fairer course is chosen by democracies aimed at ensuring general welfare and environmental care. Conflicts between such antagonistic interests are inevitable.

Somehow these harsh conflicts can be better or worse managed, but in no case, they cease to condition or dismiss governments chosen by the popular will. To achieve this, they seek complicities; at one time those were military coups and, today, they are cunning judicial and media maneuvers. It is even more serious when local power associates with international forces, be they large conglomerates that help sabotage economic functioning, or governments of central countries that agree with powerful minorities to unrestricted adherence to their geopolitical interests.          

Protecting democracies is an effort in several dimensions. For now, the fragmentation of the popular will is a flank of tremendous weakness. It is necessary to face and overcome it with a lot of political work at the level of the leaders and permanent clarification at the community bases. It is difficult to form popular unity when the dominators encourage or induce divisions. On the other hand, the global power structure does not help either, no matter how much the giants fight among themselves and have to confront internal vicissitudes. Regional unions of countries are instances for their voices and interests to be present on the global chessboard.

In the face of such enormous challenges, protecting and improving democracies remains an inescapable factor in containing abuses and arbitrariness. Unguarding imperfect democracies that do not satisfy leaves us all even more vulnerable.

Greetings

The Editors