This panel examines the contemporary dynamics of democratic backsliding and resilience in Latin America, driven by polarizing and radical political actors, and the emerging forms of political resistance that contest the erosion of rights and democratic institutions. Recent experiences in the region illustrate how these governments dismantle key aspects of the state apparatus and legal frameworks, particularly those protecting social and minority rights, while strategically mobilizing state structures to deepen social divides and radicalize political groups.
The extent to which these governments succeed, however, has varied, shaped in part by reactions and acts of political resistance from diverse societal and institutional actors. Despite executive attempts to weaken checks and balances, reactions has emerged not only from elite sectors—most notably the judiciary—but also from civil society organizations and, in some cases, segments of the public bureaucracy directly affected by radical political shifts. These diffuse and heterogeneous movements, with varying degrees of coordination, have constrained the institutional and policy transformations pursued by these governments, and favored democratic resilience.
While the scope and effectiveness of political resistance depends on regional and country-specific factors, this panel engages with these variations to examine the rise of democratic retrenchment and the conditions under which resistance emerges, adapts, and influences political contestation. By bringing together diverse case studies and theoretical perspectives, this discussion seeks to advance our understanding of the interplay between democratic erosion and resilience in Latin America.
