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Second Latin American Democracy Forum Closed in Mexico with a Call for Societies Ruled by Majorities and Not by the Influence of Money and Power

The Second Latin American Democracy Forum, held from December 6 to 8 in Mexico City, closed today with a call to face the challenges implied in the relationship between money and politics; to strengthen the institutions of the State with the urge to promote transparency and equality of opportunity; and to promote shared responsibility to achieve the sustainability of democracy.

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, at the meeting's closing session, insisted on his perspective that democracy in Latin America lives through an important moment, thanks to the fact that "all citizens have worked hard to build it." He recalled some of the challenges that persist, on the "concentration of an excess of political influence in the sectors with greater resources, and the difficulties others have to participate in politics because of lack of resources."

"The numbers have spoken greatly and we know well this is a hemispheric problem, that we can combat only as long as we develop common policies and give each other the necessary support, because it also threatens our policy and our democracy," he said.

The head of the hemispheric Organization also referred to the threat represented by the possibility of participation and action by organized crime in the electoral and post-electoral processes, an issue that was widely discussed in the three days of the regional forum. "These problems reflect many aspects of the institutional weaknesses we must correct," he said.

Insulza closed his speech expressing his satisfaction for the development of the meeting in its second edition, and making special emphasis on the richness of the debate, the new opportunities for cooperation and having emphasized an issue so central to today's democracies such as the relationship between money and power.

A guest at the closing ceremony, Mexico's Minister of the Interior, Alejandro Poiré, highlighted the richness and diversity of the voices that participated in the Second Forum, attended by specialists, academics, representatives of multilateral organizations, former electoral officials, social activists, party representatives, journalists, and special guests. "I am sure that all reflections, all the arguments and all discussions that have taken place in this Forum are of the first importance in the permanent task of strengthening our democracies," he said.

The Mexican Minister highlighted the agreement he noted in the debates on which the Forum focused regarding the fact that "the construction of democracy is a subject on which we all recognize ourselves as participants, as co-responsible parties," and that the democratic system "not only is a mechanism, a group of procedures, it is above all a constant practice of public life that has to be rooted in institutions and in society."

For his part, the President of Mexico's Federal Electoral Institute, Leonardo Valdés Zurita, concluded by asserting that "it is impossible to separate money from politics" and that the concentration of wealth clearly implies concentration of power, the search for influence to "direct policy and the workings of our electoral processes."

In the framework of the Forum, the high-level IFE representative reiterated his vision that democracies require the development of the citizenry. "We need, more and more, for citizens to be informed and participate in public affairs, and demand accountability from those who have political power. We need a commitment to transparency and equality among all actors and political parties, citizens and authorities." He recalled that "those who believe and live for democracy wish a society governed by the majorities and not by the power of money."

Expressing his satisfaction with the content of the meeting, Valdés said that “the objective of exchanging experiences, visions and alternatives to address the role of power and money in democracy was met successfully." Finally, he extended an invitation to the participants to make a commitment 'so the Third Latin American Democracy Forum may be as successful as this one," beginning thus the preparation work for the future event.

The Second Latin American Democracy Forum was held in the "Antiguo Colegio de San Idelfonso" in Mexico City and constituted a space for discussion and reflection on the current and future problems faced by democracies of the region, mainly the link between politics and money in a democratic system, its implications, the distortions that can be created and the implications relative to the inadequate use of political funds, such as loss of confidence in the system and the legitimacy of access to government. The event was convened by the OAS, the IFE, and International IDEA.

For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.

Reference: E-1005/11