DEMOCRATIC BACKSLIDING IN PERU AND VENEZUELA: AN ANALYSIS OF THE FREE PRESS

Abstract

The expansion of democracy between 1975 and 1990 involved at least 30 countries from all regions of the world, but since 2005 many of those countries that moved towards democracy have struggled to maintain momentum and have failed to sustain a democratic system. Among the features that contribute to the health of democracy is the role of a free press. Serving as a watchdog of the government and of potential human rights abuses, the free press is one of the most pivotal mechanisms in which democratic governments are sustained. Existing scholarship demonstrates the significant role a free press plays in contributing to democratization. I seek to investigate the role of the free press in countries that are backsliding democratically. I aim to accomplish this by answering the following research question: Does a decline in the level of press freedom lead to democratic backsliding in countries that transitioned to democracy since 1975? Specifically, how does a decline in the free press lead to a decline in democratic institutions in Venezuela and Peru? I plan to study the reduction in democratic governance through qualitatively analyzing the role of the press in Venezuela and Peru.