Level of democracy in Central América
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.71112/cwrvfw11Keywords:
Democracy, Central America, Corruption, Authoritarianism, Case Study, Judiciary, Impunity, ResilienceAbstract
The main objective of this research is to analyze the level of democracy in Central America, identifying the structural and incidental factors that promote or inhibit its stability and democratic quality. Methodologically, it is framed within the Qualitative Paradigm (Interpretive Approach), employing a Multiple Case Study strategy (Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and Costa Rica). Data were analyzed using Content Analysis and Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) in its exploratory/narrative phase. The results confirm that democracy in the sub-region is in a state of widespread vulnerability and constantly struggling against erosion. Two critical patterns are identified: 1) Transversal factors, where corruption and low institutional trust act as the main accelerators of democratic erosion , and the Judiciary is established as a central battleground for institutional instrumentalization and the reconsolidation of impunity. 2) Heterogeneous trajectories, which distinguish consolidated reversion (Guatemala, Nicaragua) from systemic fragility (Honduras). Finally, it is concluded that the case of Costa Rica and its transition to a "captive democracy" challenges the notion of the "Central American exception," showing that democratic quality is progressively weakened by the accumulation of critical junctures.
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