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It is with great sadness that the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) has received the news that our founding Secretary-General, Bengt Säve-Söderbergh, passed away on Thursday, 5 September. His dedication to the promotion of democracy was unwavering, his passion inspiring to all, and his vision—now reality—will be a global legacy. 

Marcela Ríos, International IDEA's Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), met with representatives of the Swedish Parliament's Committee on Constitutional Affairs, who officially visited Chile.

“Siempre he estado muy conectada con Venezuela, primero porque soy venezolana y porque conozco el proceso político desde mi pregrado y vivía en primera persona lo que fue la llegada del chavismo. Estos 25 años de deterioro progresivo, incremental, los he vivido de cerca”, relata Neida Colmenares, cientista política, magíster en Políticas Públicas y doctora en Gobierno de Administración Pública, quien reside en Chile desde hace 18 años.

On July 26, 2024, the Paraguayan Network for Electoral Integrity (Red Paraguaya para la Integridad Electoral) took a significant step forward strengthening the country’s electoral system by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

Las democracias de la región Andina son vulnerables a crisis impulsadas por explosiones sociales, la polarización política y social, negacionismo electoral, crimen organizado y la debilidad del Estado de derecho.

The popular will of the Venezuelan people, expressed in Sunday’s (28 July) election, must be respected. Venezuelans have the right to total transparency of the vote count. But these results are suspect and until independent observers verify the count, official recognition of the vote should be withheld. The international community owes this to Venezuelans, including the millions in exile, and to the health and resilience of global democracy.  

During the recent implementation workshop in Asuncion, Paraguay, held on 20-21 June 2024, participant organizations made significant progress in establishing a sustainable network and addressing critical electoral reforms.

International IDEA's Secretary-General, Kevin Casas-Zamora, discusses with Brian Winter, editor-in-chief of Americas Quarterly, a range of issues related to Latin American democracy, from what recent elections say about the region’s political health, to the potential impact of the US election and how governments should deal with insecurity and violence.

More than 100 Peruvian journalists participated in the VII Europe - Latin America Investigative Journalism Meeting, organized on May 21 and 22 by International IDEA in partnership with the Press and Society Institute (IPYS), the Peruvian Press Council (CPP), and Google News Initiative (GNI), with funding from the European Union. 

A new resource aims to boost inclusion in democratic processes and institutions

The presidential and congressional elections took place in the Dominican Republic on Sunday, May 19. International IDEA, other organizations, and guests from different countries followed the elections on the ground.

During his visit to President Bernardo Arévalo, Kevin Casas-Zamora presented the work of International IDEA in Latin America and the Caribbean. They exchanged perspectives on the challenges of democracy in the region and, particularly, in Guatemala, identifying synergies for strengthening democratic institutions, and agreeing on the relevance of Electoral reform.

Between 20 and 21 March 2024, International IDEA organized a roadmap workshop on the topic of protecting electoral processes in the information environment.

The widespread use of generative artificial intelligence tools poses a challenge for journalism, both in terms of resource optimization and in preventing threats related to misinformation and fake news. According to Honduran digital transformation specialist Rogelio Umaña, it is important to strengthen the principles of good journalism to leverage technology for the benefit of political coverage.

The advancement of artificial intelligence brings opportunities for journalistic coverage in terms of task optimization and automation. At the same time, AI can bring risks, such as the proliferation of misinformation. Addressing these threats and seizing opportunities requires ongoing training and updating.

In Brazil, Internet and social media have been long used by political parties and candidates to campaign, but it was only in 2017 that organic electoral advertising on social media, social media boosting and paid promotion in web search engines were included in the list of permitted electoral campaign expenditures.

In 2023 we will find outstanding advances in the election of women in Latin America, but at the same time, effective equality continues to be a goal that seems distant and with complex challenges.

The commemoration of 2024 International Women's Day will be a contentious moment in many Latin American and Caribbean countries. Despite decades of significant advances, and in no doubt, also blockades and challenges for gender equality and women's empowerment in the region, today, there is greater danger for backsliding and backlash.