Introduction
Latin America has remained a region characterized by fragile democracy and political stability. Fortunately, the forces experienced across the world have supported the establishment of regimes and governments that are more democratic in this part of the globe. However, various governance challenges continue to affect most of the countries in South America. The selected current event recorded in Latin America within the past year is the increasing number of anti-government protests. The discussion presented below focuses on this issue and offers recommendations that all leaders across the region should take into consideration.
Anti-Government Protests
Since November 2019, several Latin American nations have gone through a series of civil disturbances. For instance, many citizens, student leaders, and labor unions have been encouraging their followers to protest against the Columbian government. Most of the citizens are angry and unhappy with the established political systems associated with various predicaments, such as poor leadership. Additionally, some individuals are dissatisfied with the ineffective strategies aimed at tackling the challenges of unemployment and the unavailability of effective social services.
Through the analysis of the case of Chile, it becomes evident that the problem of economic inequality is another issue that is forcing citizens to engage in mass protests. These individuals are unhappy since the systems and strategies put in place are unable to empower and take them closer to their goals. The leaders in this country have done very little to fight corruption and reduce the increasing cases of racial inequality. The same situation is recorded in other countries across Latin America, such as Bolivia, Cuba, and Venezuela.
Experts in political affairs acknowledge that more protests might be witnessed in the continent since many people are becoming more disillusioned and unable to record meaningful social mobilities. For instance, the wave of protests experienced in Venezuela could encourage citizens in neighboring nations to engage in similar campaigns to compel the government and address poor infrastructure, lack of high-quality medical services, and inequality. Most of the countries in the region face similar challenges. For example, Haiti, Ecuador, and Venezuela are all ravaged by the challenges of corruption, unfair judicial systems, social and economic disparities, and reduced empowerment. These developments reveal that more protests could be experienced in Latin America within the next few months.
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) of 2019 is a new problem that has worsened the fate and experience of most of the citizens in the continents. The governments in place have failed to implement transparent and evidence-based measures to tackle this challenge while improving the recorded level of democracy. The leaders have failed to remain transparent and introduce superior mechanisms to enhance economic growth, provide additional job opportunities, support all families affected the most by COVID-19, and fight corruption. Many Latin Americans yearn for effective, democratic, and reliable governments that are capable of addressing their challenges, tackling corruption, and investing in social services.
Conclusion
The above discussion has revealed that anti-government protests have increased significantly in Latin America within the past year. Such actions could compel most of the leaders to consider the plight of the citizens, fight corruption, and introduce additional social services and systems that can transform their experiences. The concepts of democracy and governance are recommendable for this continent if more leaders are to change their respective countries, promote economic performance, and minimize the ongoing protests.