Strengthening Democratic Institutions
Focus AreasAside from the state of the economy, no problem ranks higher in the concern of Latin Americans than “citizen insecurity.” Common crime, organized crime, violent youth gangs and other manifestations of social violence are on the rise nearly everywhere, while efforts by civilian law enforcement agencies to combat crime are frequently ineffective and insufficient. Too often, law enforcement agencies are corrupted by criminal elements, reducing citizen confidence in police and the judicial system even further.
During the period of military dictatorships and authoritarian rule, the armed forces exercised a monopoly over police and investigatory functions, while civilian law enforcement institutions were deliberately kept weak and subordinate. As democratically-elected civilian governments sought to remove the military from law enforcement functions, a power-vacuum occurred which criminal elements were quick to exploit. Today, the dismantling of repressive security forces and weak economies have produced conditions where there are tens of thousands of weapons and people who know how to use them. An explosion of crime waves throughout the region has produced a public backlash that has weakened support for civil liberties and respect for human rights.
As public opinion polls throughout the region show increasing support for a return to repressive means of maintaining order, the future of democracy in Latin America largely depends on the ability of civilian governments to effectively combat crime while protecting the rights of citizens. The problem is compounded by a dearth of civilian expertise on security matters.
The Latin America Program carries out a range of activities and grant-making aimed at strengthening key democratic institutions. The Program gives priority to:
- Promoting civilian control of and engagement with efforts to ensure that state security organs (military, police, and intelligence) support and operate within a democratic framework, which includes respecting human rights.
- Improving civilian expertise on public security and defense issues as well as civil society monitoring and engagement with police reform efforts.
- Supporting the efforts of truth commissions and regular judicial organs to establish accountability for human rights abuses and to end impunity. This component also draws on the expertise and resources of the Open Society Justice Initiative.
For example, the Latin America Program supports the following organizations that work in these areas:
Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL): OSI supports CEJIL’s work to provide free legal advice and training on the use of international human rights instruments to victims, their families, NGOs, and government agencies throughout the region. The aim is to make the Inter-American system more effective and responsive, while also working towards the full implementation of international human rights norms in OAS member states. CEJIL pursues this goal through a combination of strategic litigation of systematic violations of human rights before the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights and the Court, training workshops and dissemination of materials, and facilitation of civil society and NGO participation in OAS political spaces.
Instituto para la Seguridad y la Democracia (INSYDE): OSI supports INSYDE’s work to promote democratic and accountable policing in Mexico by convening officials, academics and NGOs for conferences and discussions, publishing the findings from these meetings, creating a manual for implementing accountability mechanisms in police forces and offering technical support to government bodies working on police reform.
Red de Seguridad y Defensa de America Latina (RESDAL): OSI supports RESDAL’s work to train NGOs in Latin America to analyze defense budgets, raise awareness among parliamentary committees about their role in authorizing and overseeing defense budgets, and promoting cooperation and collaboration between organizations that focus on security and those that focus on budgets.
Viva Rio: In 2005, OSI initiated a new effort aimed at strengthening cooperation between governments and civil society groups to improve public security. Based at Viva Rio, in Brazil, the project is creating a network of law enforcement officers, civil society organizations, and universities committed to reform and to generating more constructive relations with the community. OSI supports Viva Rio’s efforts to provide a mechanism for exchange of information, good practices, and educational materials on police reform, and to bring the police and civil society sectors together in search of common strategies. The project aims to fill a void in many civil society–based initiatives by ensuring the involvement of police officers.
