Latin America has seen a marked decline in the strength of its democratic institutions in recent years. Three countries in the region are widely considered non-democratic and in many others, leaders are restricting basic civil liberties, such as the freedom of the press. The accelerating democratic backsliding is raising concerns in the United States and among the region’s partners in the European Union. The Spanish presidency of the Council of Europe in the second half of 2023 has generated greater interest in the defense of democracy in the Americas and created an historic opportunity to improve coordination between the United States and EU to address this urgent challenge.
Please join the Wilson Center’s Latin America Program and the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center, in partnership with the Spanish Embassy in the United States and the European Union Delegation in Washington on Monday, November 13, from 10am to 11:30am ET, for a discussion on how the United States and EU could deepen their joint efforts to defend democracy in the Americas, including by strengthening the Inter-American Democratic Charter and its implementation; increasing support for civil society institutions in the Americas; expanding support for elections, including through election monitoring; and coordination in international institutions in support of democracy and human rights in Latin America and the Caribbean.
This is the first in three high-level dialogues on US-EU cooperation in the Americas. Subsequent dialogues will address US-EU coordination on commercial issues in Latin America and US-EU partnerships to protect Latin America’s seas and forests.