The Virus of Autocracy: Editorial by Michael Warsaw in the National Catholic Register

EDITOR’S NOTE: Autocratic tendencies are deeply rooted in Latin American politics, and yet the same type of power accumulation seems to spread like a virus to all corners of the globe, including here in the United States.

It is often said that we have the leaders we deserve, but no one deserves Nicolás Maduro. Neither do the oppressed people of Venezuela.

Since his close election as president 11 years ago, almost 8 million Venezuelans have fled the country in the face of paralyzing hyperinflation, the increase in crime, the lack of food and medicine; and a steady erosion of democracy and basic human rights.

Humanitarian experts fear another mass exodus following the presidential elections of July 28 of this year, in which Maduro claims to have won despite overwhelming indications that he was the clear loser.

In an interview with EWTN News on August 22, Cardinal Michael Czerny, prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development, condemned the tragedy of “forced migrations” by governments like the one now occurring in Venezuela.

“Every forced migrant is a failure of the state… in terms of human rights, development, security, public order… All the reasons that cause people to leave are the responsibility of the state,” the cardinal highlighted. “We ask governments to solve these problems, because if they don’t, they lose their most important resource: their people. And that is an unfortunate tragedy.”

Although the United States recognizes the opposition candidate, Edmundo GonzálezAs the real winner, Maduro has clung to power. In recent days, Venezuela’s highest court has joined the farce of the results. Meanwhile, Maduro’s leftist government has summoned González for questioning.

Latin America has a long and tragic history of dictatorships: Augusto Pinochet in Chile, Fidel Castro in Cuba, Gustavo Rojas Pinilla in Colombia, the Duvaliers in Haiti, Luis García Meza in Bolivia, Rafael Trujillo in the Dominican Republic and Manuel Noriega in Panama, to name a few. only to some.

However, unlike past military rulers, who ruthlessly crushed democracy, current autocrats like Maduro prefer to co-opt democratic institutions and principles to constantly gain, retain, and expand power. Political scientists call this “democratic fusion”. As academic José Mauricio Gaona explains: “Once it is mixed, democracy stops being a system of government and becomes a tool of repressive regimes to maintain power.”

When this happens, the Catholic Church – which is often the last institution capable or brave enough to speak out in defense of human dignity and freedom – inevitably becomes an enemy of the State.

We see this every day in Nicaragua, where dozens of churches have been closed or desecrated and where priests who dare to criticize the regime of President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, are imprisoned or exiled. In recent days, the government has closed 1,500 non-profit organizations – including Cáritas de Granada and numerous Catholic and evangelical associations; and has banished two other priests.

At the same time, there are worrying and undemocratic situations in Mexico. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who has also cracked down on NGOs he doesn’t like, is encouraging constitutional reforms that target the country’s judicial system.

His plan to replace the current judicial appointment process with popular elections for all magistrates at the federal and state levels could sound democratic, if it were not for the fact that López Obrador’s Morena party will effectively define who the candidates are.

While it may be true that such autocratic tendencies are ingrained in Latin American politics, this same type of concentration of power seems to spread like a virus to all corners of the globe, including here the United States and other supposed bastions of democracy such as the United Kingdom. United Kingdom and France, where the ruling elites seem unable to resist the temptation to control dissent by restricting freedom of expression.

It is also important to remember that there is another force integrated into the rich culture of Latin America: the Catholic faith.

Even when their countries fall prey to dictators like Maduro, Catholics who endure these trials know who is truly in charge. They also know that the Blessed Virgin, to whom they are very devoted, will never abandon them.

Even if they try by all means, “strong men” like Maduro cannot stay in power indefinitely.

A few days after their cronies in the Supreme Court annulled the democratic will of the people, Venezuelans who went to Sunday Mass heard the same responsorial psalm as we did, but with a deeper echo.

The righteous cry, and the Lord hears them,
and frees them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted,
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

May God bless you!

Translated and adapted by the ACI Prensa team. Originally published in National Catholic Register