Authoritarianism, Local Politics and Citizen Participation in Latin America: Looking across the Nicaraguan and Venezuelan Cases

Abstract

This text addresses the ways in which, within the political regimes of Nicaragua and Venezuela, the ruling party and the opposition interact in the local political arena. Starting from recent election results and measures of democracy from the global V-Dem project, patterns of political interference and mechanisms of social control are identified that diminish citizens’ options to vote for opposition candidates, to organize, and to participate autonomously at the municipal level. Additionally, the concrete effects this interaction has had on the democracy of both countries are discussed.

Keywords

• nicaragua
• venezuela
• elecciones
• participación
• control social