Analysis: the strengthening of political parties in Latin America
Ernesto Aranibar, Coordinator of Agora Democrática, the joint NIMD-IDEA program in Ecuador, has written an article he would like to share. In the article, entitled 'The strengthening of political parties in Latin America within a countercyclical analytical framework', Ernesto suggests new possibilities for political party development in the region.
Abstract
In this paper, Ernesto Aranibar demonstrates that in Latin America traditional heterogeneity within countries has been followed by staggering growth of economic differences between countries. This process ran parallel to the third democratic wave through which an almost universal homogeneity in procedural democratic political systems in Latin American countries was reached. Notwithstanding the democratic reforms, the shortfalls in governance delivery with the backdrop of massive poverty and very high inequality and violence has contributed to the creation in Latin American countries of a new within-countries political heterogeneity in which pre-modern, modern and sophisticated political realities come face to face with political systems in which political parties, showing high polarization, volatility and weak institutionalization, are severely criticized by public opinion. The article suggests new possibilities for political parties faced with this situation including a political countercyclical focus that implies a new role, tools and challenges for them.
About the author
Ernesto Aranibar is currently Coordinator of Agora Democrática, the joint NIMD-IDEA program in Ecuador. He is a Bolivian economist with studies in Santiago, Chile and Louvain, Belgium. He has been Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Bolivia to the United Nations in New York, Minister of Planning and Coordination and Minister of Finance for the constitutional government of Bolivia. He was Representative in Peru and Secretary of the Andean Development Corporation (CAF) in Caracas, Senior Advisor for Planning and Evaluation for the UNICEF Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean in Bogotá. He was professor at the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés in La Paz, at the center of Superior Studies of the Universidad Mayor de San Simón in Cochabamba, and at the Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar in Sucre, Bolivia. He was Executive Director of the Federation of Private Entrepreneurs in Cochabamba. He has been a consultant for several international organizations. He is author of a book - Crecimiento Económico y Procesos Políticos- as well as papers and articles.
The article is an interesting and comprehensive attempt to understand the long flagging process of political parties. It reveals the huge challenges democratic political leadership and institutions have in order to face a complex and “extraordinary” critical moment at the global, regional and at the national level.
The proposed countercyclical framework differs from the traditional approach. It gives another perspective to tackle the still fashionable anti political attitudes. It could inspire creative and new strategies/tools to the ongoing efforts to revalue politics and its diverse plural organizations as a public good. I am planning to deep the analysis and proposals included, because democratic governance in a very polarized society is under permanent risk. Aranibar´s proposed model reinforces my personal theoric and political ideas based in revealing the paradoxical logic within the political an economical cycles we experienced in Bolivia.
Needless to say, that – in Latin America – we should work hard linking some clue factors such us: Persistent strong Presidencialism and “caudillo” political culture, sub national hyper fragmentation, diversification and parroquial ( self-centred ) demands; the new rhetoric that enhances – stimulate – victimization and less resilient social responses to new challenges; the arousal of over expectations ( due media, urbanizations processes ). In this context, it is not easy to help political parties to recover confidence, accountability and sustainable capacity to offer “new possible dreams”….through new role, network mechanisms such the ICT, etc….
Erika Brockmann Quiroga
Psychologist and Political Scientist and pro gender equity activist
Former Bolivian Senator and Member of Parliament(1997-2005)